Forever With The Impossible
by itsthetruth
Summary: Donna Noble has lost her memory, leaving The TARDIS companion-less. The Doctor and Zara are now engaged, vaguely searching for their human copies. But something is coming, and he will knock four times. The Master is returning, and Zara's battle with the universe over his death is finally coming to an end. 10/OC
1. The Next Doctor

The TARDIS materialized under a bridge in the snow. The Doctor stepped out, looking about with a smile when Zara stepped out behind him. He looked behind to find her wearing a red skater skirt, black tights, black ankle boots, a knitted white jumper and a black blazer, her hair thickly curled, hanging over her shoulders. He beamed at her, taking her hand and placing a kiss on the back of it.

"So beautiful." He mumbled as she let go of his hand, running her hand through his hair with one fluid movement. She laughed, pushing his head away and heading off, The Doctor following after her.

He caught up with her, taking her hand as they headed into a busy street market. The stalls were decked with green garlands and ribbons, hawkers of mistletoe and chestnuts along with carolers.

The Doctor looked over at a young boy by a stall, "You there, boy." He called. "What day is this?"

"Christmas Eve, sir, madam." The boy replied to the both of them.

"What year?"

"You thick or something?"

"Oi!" The Doctor exclaimed as Zara laughed. "Just answer the question."

"Year of our Lord 1851, sir, madam."

"Right. Nice year. Bit dull."

Zara shook her head, eyeing the snow, "Nothing like a bit of Victorian Christmas."

"Doctor!" A voice yelled in the distance. The Doctor and Zara looked up, looking around for the voice. "Doctor!"

"Who, me?" The Doctor blinked as Zara bolted past him, running after her.

...

The Doctor and Zara bolted into an alleyway to find a black woman nervously backing away from bolted doors.

"Doctor!" She yelled.

"Don't worry, don't worry." The Doctor reassured her, looking at the doors intently with Zara, the both of them standing either side of the woman. "Stand back, what have we got here? Ooh." They frowned as a growling echoed from behind the doors as they rattled furiously. "OK, we've got it. Whatever's behind that door, I think you should get out of here."

The woman ignored him, "Doctor!"

"No, I'm standing right here. Hello."

"Don't be so stupid, who are you?"

"I'm The Doctor." The Doctor frowned, sharing a look with Zara.

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor."

"Well, there can't be two of ya." A man suddenly came running up, dressed in period clothing. "Where the hell have you been?" She snapped at him.

"Don't worry." The man said. "Stand back. What have we got here, then?"

"Hold on, hold on." Zara stammered, eyeing the man. "Who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. Simply the Doctor. The one, the only and the best." He turned to the woman. "Rosita, give me the sonic screwdriver."

Rosita quickly handed the second Doctor something, too quickly for either The Doctor or Zara to see.

"What?" The Doctor's eyes widened.

"Now quickly, get back to the TARDIS." The second Doctor ordered Rosita.

"Back to the what?"

"Stand back, sir. This is a job for a Time Lord."

Zara stared, stunned, "Job for a what lord?" She asked.

The doors burst open to reveal a creature with a shaggy, furry body and a metal mask where its face should be, a Cybershade.

"Oh, that's different." The Doctor remarked, reaching into his pocket.

"Oh, that's new." The second Doctor added, the two of them aiming their sonics at the creature.

"Allons-y." The two said in unison.

The Cybershade stared at them.

"I've been hunting this beast for a good fortnight." The second Doctor remarked. "Now step back, sir."

The Cybershade lept over them and clung to the wall of a building behind them.

"Some sort of primitive conversion, like they took the brain of a cat or a dog." Zara commented, watching it curiously.

"Well, talking's all very well. Rosita."

Rosita nodded, "I'm ready." She handed him a rope which he swung over his head like a lasso.

"Now, watch and learn." He released the rope and circled it around the Cybershade. "Excellent. Now then, let's pull this timorous beastie down to earth."

The Cybershade began to scale the wall, pulling the second Doctor with him.

"Or not." The Doctor muttered.

"I might be in a little bit of trouble."

"Nothing changes." Zara laughed.

"I've got you." The Doctor called, grabbing hold of the rope. He groaned a little, trying to pull him down, only to be pulled up the wall as well.

"You idiots!" Rosita shouted after them as Zara just rolled her eyes.

"Perhaps if you could pull?" The Second Doctor asked.

"I am pulling." The Doctor called. "In this position, I couldn't not pull, could I?"

The Cybershade jumped into a window and stopped.

"Then I'd suggest you let go, sir."

"I'm not letting you out of my sight, Doctor. Don't you recognise me?"

The Second Doctor glanced down at him, "No, should I? Have we met? This is hardly the right time for me to go through my social calendar."

Suddenly the two of them were pulled inside the window.

"Oh great." Rosita snapped, rushing off.

Zara looked round, confused, before following after the woman.

...

The Cybershade ran across the floor, pulling both Doctors across the dark, empty room and towards the far window.

"It's gonna jump!" The Doctor shouted.

"We're gonna fall!" The Second Doctor called.

Suddenly, Rosita appeared, chopping the rope with an axe. Both Doctors tumbled from the quick stop and slowly stood, groaning. Rosita dropped the axe and looked at Zara, who stood next to her as the two Doctor burst into laughter, hugging each other.

...

The four of them walked down the stairs from the warehouse as The Doctors continued laughing.

"Well, I'm glad you think it's so funny." Rosita snapped. "You're mad. Both of you. You could've got killed."

"But, evidently, we did not." The Second Doctor said. "Oh, I should introduce Rosita. My faithful companion, always telling me off."

"Well, they do, don't they?" The Doctor grinned, elbowing Zara in the side, making her roll her eyes him. "Rosita? Good name. Hello, Rosita."

"Huh. Now I'll have to go and dismantle the traps." Rosita grumbled. "All that for nothing. And we've only got 20 minutes till the funeral, don't forget." She turned and walked away. "Then back to the TARDIS, right?"

"Funeral?" Zara asked.

"Oh, long story." The Second Doctor waved a hand at her. "Not my own, not yet." He bent over with a groan. "Oooh, I'm not as young as I was."

"Well, not as young as you were when you were me." The Doctor remarked.

"When I was who?"

The Doctor frowned, "You really don't recognise me?" He looked at Zara. "Or her?"

"Not at all."

The Doctor stiffened slightly, horrified. It was bad enough that he couldn't remember him, but Zara?! Never. He could _never_ forget her.

"But you're The Doctor." Zara frowned. "The next Doctor. Or the next-but-one. A future Doctor anyway."

"Oh!"

"No, no, don't tell him how it happened." Zara laughed. "Although... I hope he didn't just trip over a brick, that'd be embarrassing. Or maybe I hit him over the head with the brick cause he annoyed me. Then again, painless. Worse ways to go, depends on the brick."

"You're gabbling, madam. Now, might I ask, who are you two, exactly?"

"No, I'm, uh..." The Doctor babbled. "We're just Smith. John Smith." He gestured to Zara. "And my fiance, Zara. But we've heard all about you, Doctor. Bit of a legend, if I say so myself."

"Modesty forbids me to agree with you, sir." The Second Doctor smile. "But yes. Yes, I am."

Zara eyed him, "A legend with certain memories missing. Am I right?" She asked.

"How do you know that?"

"You've forgotten _me_." She breathed. "I always hoped you wouldn't... Clearly not." The Doctor stared at her guiltily.

"Great swathes of my life have been stolen away. When I turn my mind to the past, there's nothing."

"Going how far back?"

"Since the Cybermen." The Doctor and Zara shared a look. "Masters of that hellish wall-scuttler and old enemies of mine, now at work in London town. You won't believe this, Mr and Mrs Smith, but they are creatures from another world."

"Really?" The Doctor asked sarcastically. "Wow."

"It's said they fell onto London, out of the sky in a blaze of light. And they found me." He blinked, distracted. "Something was taken. And something was lost." He looked to The Doctor and Zara. "What was I like? In the past?"

"I don't think I should say." The Doctor sighed. "Sorry. Got to be careful with memory loss. One wrong word..."

"It's strange, though. I talk of Cybermen from the stars and you don't blink, Mr and Mrs Smith."

"Ah, don't blink, remember that?" Zara asked excitedly. "Whatever you do, don't blink? The blinking and the statues? Sally and the angels? No?"

The Second Doctor frowned, "You're a very odd man and woman."

"Hmm, I still am." The Doctor muttered. "Something's wrong here."

"Oh, the funeral." The Second Doctor suddenly exclaimed, backing away. "The funeral's at two o'clock. It's been a pleasure, Mr and Mrs Smith. Don't breathe a word of it."

"Can't we come with you?" Zara asked, The Doctor eyeing her.

"It's far dangerous. Rest assured, I shall keep this city safe. Oh, and, er... merry Christmas, Mr and Mrs Smith." He turned and left.

"Merry Christmas, Theta." Zara grinned before following after him.

The Doctor rolled his eyes, following after her.

...

The Doctor and Zara hid round a corner, watching The Second Doctor and Rosita standing at the side of the road, watching as a funeral procession made its way slowly down the road.

"I'm sure you're around somewhere." The Doctor reassured Zara. "Probably just watching from afar to keep me out of trouble." He placed a kiss on her head.

"Ssh!" Zara hissed, batting a hand at him to try and hear.

"The late Reverend Fairchild, leaving his place of residence for the last time." The Second Doctor sighed to Rosita. "God rest his soul. Now, with the house empty, I shall effect an entrance at the rear while you go back to the TARDIS. This is hardly work for a woman."

Rosita scoffed, "Oh, don't mind me saving your life. That's work for a woman, isn't it?"

"The Doctor's companion does what the Doctor says. Off you go."

She rolled her eyes and the two parted ways. The Doctor and Zara watched Rosita stride off before turning back.

...

The Doctor and Zara stood in the library, in the house that belonged to the Reverend, cleverly located by The TARDIS.

"Theta." Zara muttered, peering through the curtains and out onto the snowy street.

"Yes?" The Doctor replied, standing by the back door.

"Don't you think we should track them down?" The Doctor frowned, looking round at her. "The human versions of us? They could be anywhere."

"Ah they'll turn up." He muttered, walking over with a smile and spinning her into a hug so he was leaning against the cold window. "Much more important things on my mind." He leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.

Zara let out a squeal, pulling away, "Theta!" She laughed as he tried to kiss her again, "No, Theta, he's here!" She nodded behind her at The Second Doctor as he approached the door, trying to pick the lock.

The Doctor rushed back open to the front door, pulling Zara with him, and yanking it open, "Hello."

The Second Doctor stared at them, stunned, "How did you get in?"

"Oh, front door." Zara smiled. "We're good at doors." She glanced at his hand. "Um, do you mind my asking, is that your sonic screwdriver?"

"Yeah." He held up a regular, wooden handled screwdriver. "I'd be lost without it."

"But, that's a screwdriver." She frowned. "How's it sonic?"

"Well, er, it makes a noise." He tapped it against the doorframe. "That's sonic, isn't it? Now, since we're acting like common burglars, I suggest we get out of plain view." He stepped into the house, The Doctor closing the door behind him.

The Second Doctor stormed through the Christmas decorated room, straight towards the desk, searching the drawers.

"This investigation of yours, what's it about?" The Doctor asked.

"It started with a murder." The Second Doctor called over his shoulder.

"Oh, good. I mean bad, but whose?"

"Mr Jackson Lake, a teacher of mathematics from Sussex. He came to London three weeks ago and died a terrible death."

"Cybermen?" Zara asked.

"It's hard to say, his body was never found. But then it started. More secret murders. Then abductions. Children…stolen away in silence."

The Doctor eyed round the room, "So whose house is this?"

The Second Doctor moved over to the bookcase, "The latest murder. The Reverend Aubrey Fairchild. Found with burns to his forehead, like some advanced form of electrocution."

"But who was he, was he important?"

"You ask a lot of questions."

Zara grinned, "We're your companions." She beamed.

"The Reverend was the pillar of the community, a member of many parish boards. A keen advocate of children's charities."

Zara gulped, "Children again." She frowned, Jenny's face flashing through her mind. She shook her head, continuing, "But why would the Cybermen want him dead? And what's his connection to the first death, this Jackson Lake?"

"It's funny, I seem to be telling you two everything. As though you guys engendered some sort of... trust. You seem familiar, Mr and Mrs Smith. I know your faces. But how?"

Zara eyed his pocket, noticing a pocket watch, "I wonder. I can't help noticing you're wearing a fob watch."

"Is that important?"

"Legend has it that the memories of a Time Lord can be contained within a watch." The Doctor said, glancing at Zara before turning back to The Second Doctor, "Do you mind?" The Second Doctor handed The Doctor his watch. "It's said that if it's opened..." He opened the watch and the cogs and springs fell onto the floor. "Oh. Maybe not."

"It's more for decoration."

"Yeah. Anyway, alien infiltration."

The three broke apart and began to search the room.

"Look for anything different, possibly metal." The Second Doctor called over his shoulder. "Anything that doesn't seem to belong, perhaps a mechanical device that could fit no earthly engine." The Doctor took out the sonic and used it on a locked desk. "It could even seem to be organic, but unlike any organism of the natural world." He looked up at the sound of the sonic. "Shh! What's that noise?"

The Doctor pocketed the sonic, "Oh, it's just me... whistling." He did an whistling impression of the sonic. "I wonder what's in here, though." He pulled up the scroll-top desk. "Ah." He pulled out a metal cylinder, eyeing it. "Different and metal, you were right. They are infostamps." Zara shot him a look. "I mean, at a guess. Um, if I were you, I'd say they worked something like this." He pressed one end of the cylinder and images projected onto the wall from the other.

"See?" Zara asked, looking at the flashing images. "Compressed information. Tons of it." The Doctor reached into his pocket and pulled out his glasses, putting them on as she spoke. "That is the history of London, 1066 to the present day. This is like a disk, a Cyberdisk. But why would the Cybermen need something so simple?"

Neither of them noticed as The Second Doctor collapsed into a chair, reacting badly to the sight of the infostamps.

"They've gotta be wireless." The Doctor frowned. "Unless... they're in the wrong century, they haven't got much power. They need plain old basic infostamps to update themselves."

Zara looked over to see The Second Doctor, "Are you all right?" She asked, dropping to his side in concern.

"I'm fine." The Second Doctor gulped, trying to pull away as she took his hand. She gently whacked his hand, taking it.

"No, what is it?" The Doctor asked, sitting opposite him. "What's wrong?"

"I've seen one of these before." He shook his head, troubled. "I was holding... this device, the night I lost my mind. The night I regenerated." Zara squeezed his hand tightly. "The Cybermen, they made me change. My mind, my face, my whole self." He looked up at The Doctor suddenly. "And you were there. Who are you?"

"A friend. I swear."

"Then I beg you, John. Help me."

The Doctor gave a small smile, "Ah. Two words I never refuse." He and Zara stood up. "But it's not a conversation for a dead man's house. It'll make more sense if we go back to the TARDIS... Your TARDIS." He headed of across the room. "Hold on, I just need to do a final check. Won't take a tick." He began to open doors as Zara rubbed a hand up and down the Second Doctor's arm, smiling at him in comfort. "There's one more thing I cannot figure. If this room's got infostamps, then maybe, just maybe, it's got something that needs infostamping." He opened a door to see a Cyberman staring back at him. "OK." He shut the door again. "I think we should run."

He bolted over to Zara and the Second Doctor as the Cyberman shoved the door open, stepping out.

"Run, Doctor!" Zara shouted, pushing the Second Doctor out of the library. "Now, Doctor!" The Doctor pushed her along too.

"Delete!" The Cyberman cried.

...

The three ran into the front hall to be blocked by a second Cyberman.

"The Doctor will be deleted." The Second Cyberman announced.

They turned and ran back, only for the first Cyberman to break through the door.

"Delete!" The Cyberman cried.

"Stairs!" Zara shouted. "Can't lead them outside!" She grabbed The Second Doctor's arm and pulled him up the stairs as The Doctor looked around frantically for something, grabbing an umbrella. "John!" Zara shouted, pointing to a sword on the wall. He grinned at her, grabbing it as the Second Cyberman appeared.

"Delete!" It cried.

He began to flourish the sword, "I'm a dab hand with a cutlass. You don't want to come near me when I've got one of these." The Cybermen advanced towards him. "This is your last warning. No?" They kept heading towards him. "OK, this is really your last warning!" He rolled his eyes. "OK, I give up." He began to make his way up the stairs.

"Delete!"

"Listen to us properly!" Zara shouted as The Doctor backed up the stairs, using the sword to block the Cybermen hitting out at him. "Whatever you're doing stuck in 1851, we can help! We're the only people in the world who can help you! Listen to us!"

"Delete!"

She pointed at The Doctor, "He's The Doctor and I'm Zara Saxon, his future wife. You need us. Check your memory banks, my name's Zara Saxon and his is The Doctor." She nodded back at the Second Doctor. "Leave this man alone!"

"The Doctor is me and she is Zara Saxon!" The Doctor shouted, kicking the Cybermen back and running up the stairs.

"Delete!" The Cyberman cried.

"The Doctor, Zara Saxon, remember? I'm The Doctor, she's my future wife Zara! You need us alive! You need The Doctor and his future wife, and that's us!"

The Second Doctor looked at the infostamp as the Cyberman pushed The Doctor to the floor, advancing, as Zara rushed forward, trying to fight back against them.

"Delete!"

The Second Doctor suddenly opened up the end of the infostamp, aiming the energy beam at the Cybermen. The two fell to their knees and their heads exploded as Zara pulled The Doctor to his feet.

"Infostamp with a cyclo-Steinham core." Zara breathed. "You ripped open the core and broke the safety, zap!" She chuckled. "Only The Doctor would think of that."

"I did that..." The Second Doctor gulped. "Last time."

"Come here, you'll be OK." The Doctor reassured him. "Let me just check." He pulled out his stethoscope.

"You told them he was The Doctor and you were his future wife." The Second Doctor frowned at Zara. "Why did you do that?"

"Oh, I was just protecting you." Zara smiled as The Doctor listened to his chest.

"You're trying to take away the only thing I've got, like they did." He gulped. "They stole something, something so precious. But I can't remember. What happened to me? What did they do?"

The Doctor reached back to Zara, squeezing her hand nervously. He assumed that The Second Doctor was talking about her, where was she?! He'd never leave Zara unless he had to... so why did he?!

"We'll find out." The Doctor reassured him. "You and me and Zara, together."

...

In the darkness of the night, Rosita paced nervously when both Doctors and Zara walked up to her.

"Doctor!" She gasped, running over and hugging the Second Doctor. "I thought you were dead!"

"Now then, Rosita." The Second Doctor replied. "A little decorum."

She pulled back, "You've been gone for so long." She turned to Zara, "He's always doing this, leaving me behind. Going frantic."

"What about the TARDIS?"

"Oh, she's ready. Come on." She grabbed him by the arm and lead him off.

The Doctor took Zara's hand, "I'm looking forward to this." He said quietly to her, placing a kiss on the side of her head as they followed after them.

...

The Doctor and Zara stood in the doorway of a stable, eyeing the clothes and cases scattered everywhere.

"You were right though, Rosita." The Second Doctor said. "The Reverend Fairchild's death was the work of the Cybermen."

"So, you live here?" Zara asked.

The Second Doctor nodded, "A temporary base, until we rout the enemy. The TARDIS is magnificent, but it's hardly a home." He stepped into one of the stalls and put a cloth into a basin of water before washing his face.

"And where's the TARDIS now?" The Doctor asked.

"In the yard."

He eyed all the cases, "Er... What's all this luggage?"

"Evidence. The property of Jackson Lake, the first man to be murdered." He looked at the two of thems. "Oh, but my new friends are fighters, Rosita, much like myself. They faced the Cybermen with a cutlass. I'm not ashamed to say, they were braver than I." The Doctor took out the sonic and began to use it on some of the luggage, Rosita watching wide eyed. "He was quite brilliant. Are you whistling again?"

"Yes. Yes, I am, yeah. Yeah." The Doctor nodded.

Zara put a finger to her lips, winking at Rosita as The Doctor put the sonic away and made his way to open one of the trunks.

"That's another man's property." Rosita hissed.

"Well, a dead man's." The Doctor shrugged. "How did you two meet, then?"

"He saved my life. Late one night, by the Osterman's Wharf, this...creature came out of the shadows." She gulped. "A man made of metal. I thought I was gonna die. And then, there he was. The Doctor." She looked between The Doctor and Zara. "Can you help him, sir, madam? He has such terrible dreams. Wakes at night in such a state of terror."

"Come now, Rosita." The Second Doctor called. "With all the things a Time Lord has seen, everything he's lost, he may surely have bad dreams."

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded, pulling out an infostamp. "Oh, now, look. Jackson Lake had an infostamp." He held it up, showing it to Zara.

"But how? Is that significant?"

Zara turned to the Second Doctor, "Doctor, the answer to all this is in your TARDIS. Could I see it?"

The Second Doctor looked between The Doctor and Zara, "Mr and soon-to-be Mrs Smith, it would be my honour."

...

The Second Doctor and Rosita lead the two of them out into the stable yard where sat a large hot air balloon, a young man standing beside it.

"There she is!" The Second Doctor said proudly as The Doctor and Zara eyed the balloon. "My transport through time and space. The TARDIS."

"You've got a balloon." The Doctor stated.

"TARDIS. T-A-R-D-I-S. It stands for Tethered Aerial Release Developed In Style. D'you see?"

"Well, I do now." Zara nodded. "I like it. Good TARDIS. Brilliant. Nice one." She inspected the balloon carefully. "And it's inflated by gas, yeah?"

"We're adjacent to the Mutton Street Gasworks, I pay them a modest fee." He turned to the young man. "Good work, Jed." He clapped the man on the shoulder.

"Glad to be of service, sir." Jed smiled as The Second Doctor took out a number of bills, slapping them into Jed's hand.

The Doctor eyed the money, "You've got quite a bit of money."

"Oh, you get nothing for nothing." The Second Doctor shrugged. "How's that ripped panel, Jed?"

Jed nodded, "All repaired, should work a treat. You never know, maybe tonight's the night, Doctor. Imagine it, seeing Christmas from above."

"Well, not just yet, I think." He looked up at the sky. "One day, I will ascend. One day soon."

"You've never actually been up?" Zara asked.

"He dreams of leaving, but never does." Rosita sighed.

"I can depart, in the TARDIS, once London is safe." The Second Doctor said. "And finally, when I'm up there... Think of it, John, Zara. The time and the space."

Zara smiled sadly, "The perfect escape. Do you ever wonder what you're escaping from?"

"With every moment."

She gently took his arm, "Then do you want me to tell you? 'Cos I think I've worked it out now. How you became The Doctor. What do you think? Do you want to know?"

...

The Doctor and Zara sat by a candle in the stables, opposite The Second Doctor and Rosita.

"The story begins with the Cybermen." Zara sighed, sharing a look with The Doctor before turning back to the Second Doctor. "A long time away, and not so far from here, the Cybermen were fought and they were beaten, and they were sent into a howling wilderness called The Void, locked inside forevermore. But then a greater battle rose up, so great that everything inside The Void perished. But, as the walls of the world weakened, the last of the Cybermen must have fallen through the dimensions, back in time, to land here. And they found you."

The Second Doctor frowned, "I fought them, I know that. But what happened?"

"At the same time, another man came to London." The Doctor explained. "Mr Jackson Lake. Plenty of luggage, money in his pocket. Maybe coming to town for the winter season, I don't know. But he found the Cybermen too. And just like you, exactly like you, he took hold of an infostamp."

"But he's dead. Jackson Lake is dead. The Cybermen murdered him."

"You said no body was ever found." Zara sighed. "And you kept all his suitcases, but you could never bring yourself to open them. I told you the answer was in the fob watch. Can I see?" The Second Doctor took out his pocket watch and handed it to The Doctor, who flipped it over to reveal the letters J.L. "J.L. The watch is Jackson Lake's."

The Second Doctor, Jackson, stared in horror, "But I'm The Doctor."

Zara shook her head sadly, "You became The Doctor because the infostamp you picked up was a book about one particular man." The Doctor picked up the infostamp and projected it onto the wall, showing all of his incarnations as Zara continued. "The Cybermen's database. Stolen from the Daleks inside The Void, I'd say, but it's everything you could want to know about The Doctor."

Jackson gulped, looking at the last projection of The Doctor, this time with Zara, "That's you." He said, looking at them.

"Time Lord, TARDIS, enemy of the Cybermen." The Doctor shrugged, clicking his tongue. "The one and the only. You see? The infostamp must have backfired, streamed all that information about me right inside your head."

He shook his head, "I am nothing but a lie."

"No, no, no, no, no. Infostamps are just facts and figures. All that bravery. Saving Rosita. Defending London town. Hmm? And the invention, building a TARDIS. That's all you."

"And what else? Tell me what else?"

Zara gulped, tears in her eyes, "There's still something missing, isn't there?"

"I demand you tell me, madam." Jackson snapped. "Tell me what they took."

"Sorry. Really, I am so sorry." The Doctor sighed, putting his arm around Zara, looking over at the suitcases. "But that's an awful lot of luggage for one man. 'Cos an infostamp is plain technology." She looked at him guiltily. "It's not enough to make a man lose his mind. What you suffered is called a fugue. A fugue state. Where the mind just runs away, because it can't bear to look back. You wanted to become someone else, because Jackson Lake had lost so much."

A bell went off in the distance.

"Midnight." Rosita sighed. "Christmas Day."

"I remember..." Jackson gulped. "Oh, my God..." He looked up, horrified. "Caroline. They killed my wife." He gasped and burst into tears. "They killed her." He looked up at Zara. "She found your infostamp, I remember." He shook in horror. "She became Zara Saxon in her head, and they killed her."

The Doctor looked away in shock, trying to keep it together. Jackson Lake's wife _wasn't_ Zara, but in her head, she thought she was. And that meant a version of Zara had died. And that crushed him.

Rosita turned and comforted him as The Doctor and Zara shared a look when suddenly the heard a loud beeping. The Doctor frowned, following the sound to another trunk.

"Oh..." He frowned, pulling out a belt holding several infostamps, turning back and showing Zara. "You found a whole cache of infostamps."

"But what is it?" Rosita asked. "What's that noise?"

"Activation." Zara said. "A call to arms. The Cybermen are moving!" She turned and ran outside, The Doctor chasing after her.

...

The two of them ran out into the street, spotting the shadows of Cybermen heading towards them when Rosita appeared after them, the three of them watching a parade of orphans walking by.

"What is it? What's happening?" She asked before noticing an older man, Mr Cole, walking behind them stiffly. "That's Mr Cole. He's Master of the Hazel Street Workhouse. Maybe he's taking them to prayers."

"Oh, nothing as holy as that." The Doctor muttered as he and Zara walked along side him. "Can you hear me? Hello? No?" Zara pointed up at his ear, showing The Doctor the ear pod he was wearing. "Mr Cole, you seem to have something in your ear. Now, this might hurt a bit, but if I can just..." He reached for the sonic before noticing a Cybershade lurking in the distance. "They're on guard. Can't risk a fight. Not with the children."

"But where are they going?" Rosita asked.

Jed appeared next to them, no idea to what was going on, "All need a good whipping, if you ask me." He remarked. "There's tons of 'em. I've just seen another lot coming from the Ingleby Workhouse down Broadback Lane."

Zara turned to Rosita, "Where's that?"

"This way!" She said, leading them off through the side streets.

...

They made their way through the side streets before coming across another group of children, being led by another older man, also with an ear piece.

"There's dozens of 'em!" Rosita gasped.

"But what for?" The Doctor muttered.

Zara headed off after the children, determined. The Doctor rolled his eyes, following after her.

...

The Doctor, Rosita and Zara watched carefully as a group of children entered through a set of large door.

"That's the door to the sluice." Rosita said. "All the sewage runs through there, straight into the Thames."

"Yeah, that's too well guarded." The Doctor muttered. "We'll have to find another way in." The three of them turned back to find their way blocked by two Cybermen. "Whoa! That's cheating, sneaking up! Did you have your legs on silent?"

Suddenly, a woman in a red dress, Miss Hartigan, strolled up and stood in front of the Cybermen.

"So..." She remarked. "What do we have here?"

"Just walk towards me, slowly." The Doctor begged her. "Don't let them touch you."

Zara rolled her eyes, realising she was with them.

"Oh, but they wouldn't hurt me, my fine boys. They are my knights in shining armour. Quite literally."

"Even if they've converted you, that's not a Cyber speech pattern." Zara frowned. "You've still got free will. Step away..."

"There's been no conversion, madam. No-one's ever been able to change my mind. The Cybermen offered me the one thing I wanted - liberation."

"Who are you?" Rosita asked.

"You can be quiet." Hartigan spat. "I doubt he paid you to talk. More importantly," She turned to Zara and The Doctor. "Who are you, sir and madam, with such intimate knowledge of my companions?"

"I'm The Doctor and she's Zara Saxon." The Doctor said.

"Incorrect." A Cyberman replied. "You do not correspond to our image of The Doctor and our data on Zara Saxon is lost."

"Yeah, that's cos your database got corrupted." Zara explained.

"Oh, look, look, look!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Check this! The Doctor's infostamp." He took out the infostamp and threw it to the Cyberman. "Plug it in. Go on, download."

The Cyberman opened the end of the infostamp and looked at it, "The core has been damaged. This infostamp would damage Cyberunits."

Zara sighed, "Oh, well. Nice try."

The infostamp beeped, "Core repaired. Download." Its chest unit opened up and it took the infostamp and inserted it into it, images of The Doctor flashing in its eye. "You are The Doctor and his companion, Zara Saxon." It removed the infostamp.

The Doctor grinned, "Hello!" He waved.

"You will be deleted."

"Oh, but let me die happy!" He stuttered suddenly as Zara stepped in front of him. "Tell me - what d'you need those children for?"

"What are children ever needed for?" Hartigan scoffed. "They're a workforce."

"But for what?"

"Very soon now, the whole Empire will see. And they will bow down, in worship."

"And it's all been timed for Christmas Day. Was that your idea, Miss...?"

"Hartigan. And, yes, it's the perfect day for a birth, with a new message for the people. Only this time, it won't be the words of a man."

Zara eyed her suspiciously, "The birth of what?"

"A birth, and a death. Namely, yours." She smiled. "Thank you, Doctor, Miss Saxon. I'm glad to have been part of your very last conversation. Now, delete them."

"Delete!" One of the Cybermen cried.

The Doctor moved in front of Zara and Rosita as the Cybermen advanced towards them. Suddenly, a bolt of energy flew out of nowhere and hit the Cybermen, sending them flying to the floor. The three of them looked over to see Jackson with the belt of infostamps around him, holding one.

"At your service, Doctor, Zara." He said.

"Shades!" Hartigan shouted. "Shades!"

The Doctor grabbed Zara and Rosita, "Run! Come on!"

"Shades!"

"One last thing." Rosita said, moving over to Hartigan, punching her in the face and sending her flying to the ground, making Zara splutter out laughing.

"Can I say, I completely disapprove!" The Doctor said, pulling her back. "Come on!" The four of them turned and ran off.

...

The four of them stopped in the middle of a street for a breather.

"That stronghold down by the river." The Doctor said breathlessly. "Zara and I need to find a way in."

"I'm ahead of you!" Jackson said. "My wife and I were moving to London so I could take up a post at the university. And while my memory is still not intact, this was in the luggage." He reached into his inside pocket and pulled out some legal documents. "The deeds - 15 Latimer Street. And if I discovered the Cybermen there, in the cellar, then..."

"That might be a way in!" Zara cheered. "Brilliant!"

"But there's still more. I remember the cellar...and my wife." The Doctor took Zara's hand and squeezed it. "But I swear there was something else in that room. If we can find that, perhaps that's the key to defeating these invaders. So...onwards!" They all headed off.

"Maybe you should go back..." The Doctor said to Rosita.

"Don't even try!" Rosita snapped.

"No."

...

Jackson stepped into the cellar of 15 Latimer street to find a Cyberman.

"Delete!" It cried.

Jackson grabbed an infostamp and fired it at the Cyberman, killing it, when The Doctor, Rosita and Zara appeared behind him. The Doctor and Zara pushed past, running towards a device set up in the middle of the room.

"Must've been guarding this." Zara commented. "A Dimension Vault! Stolen from the Daleks again, that's how the Cybermen travelled through time." She looked over at Jackson. "Jackson, is this the thing you couldn't remember?"

Jackson shook his head, "I don't think so. I'm... I just can't see. It's like it's hidden."

"Yeah, not enough power." The Doctor remarked. "Come on! Avanti!" He grabbed Zara's hand and ran off.

...

The Doctor and Zara cautiously made their way down an underground tunnel, followed by Rosita and Jackson.

"What do the Cybermen want?" Rosita asked.

"They want us." Zara called over her shoulder. "That's what Cybermen are - human beings with their brains put into metal shells. They want every living thing to be like them."

The four of them emerged into a workroom which worked a giant machine, filled with levers, fire and cogs, all powered by the orphan children.

"Upon my soul." Jackson breathed.

"What is it?" Rosita asked.

"It's an engine." Zara explained. "They're generating electricity. But what for?"

Jackson made his way forward, "We can set them free!"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no..." Zara pulled him back and ran back the way they came.

...

The four of them stood in a power room, looking at power readings off a machine.

"Power at 90%!" The Doctor read. "But if we stop the engine, the power dies down, the Cybermen will come running. Ooh." The screen began to flicker and he tapped it. "Hold on. Power fluctuation. That's not meant to happen."

"It's going wrong?" Jackson asked.

Zara frowned, "No, it's weird. The software's rewriting itself. It's changing." Suddenly, it began to surge, making The Doctor pull Zara back. "What the hell's happening? It's out of control!"

"It's accelerating. 96%, 97..."

"When it reaches 100, what about the children?" Rosita asked.

"They're disposable." The Doctor said, grabbing Zara's hand. "Come on!" He ran back.

...

The four of them ran back into the engine room as it reached 100%, alarms blaring, the Cybermen crying 'delete' repeatedly. Jackson threw an infostamp to Rosita and they used them on the Cybermen, killing them flat.

"Right. Now!" The Doctor shouted to the children as they stared, stunned. "All of you, out! D'you hear me? That's an order! Every single one of you, run!"

The children turned and ran for the exit.

"All of you, come on!" Jackson called, pushing them as they ran past. "As fast as you can, come on!"

"There's a hot pie for everyone, if you leg it!"

"Go!"

Zara turned to Rosita, "Rosita, get them out of the sluice gate! And once you're out, keep running! Far as you can!" Rosita nodded, running after the children. "Come on, come on, come on." She called to the children as she and The Doctor pushed the last few kids out. "Go! Quick, quick."

The Doctor turned and checked the gauge by the door, "It's some sort of starter motor, but starting what?"

Zara looked over at Jackson to find staring up at one of the higher levels in horror. She followed his gaze to see a little boy, staring at him, frozen with fear, and behind him a woman in a similar dress to Rosita's, with long, flowing aubern hair, staring calmly at him.

"That's my son and my wife..." Jackson breathed. "My son, Caroline!" He shouted. "Zara, Doctor, my son and Caroline!"

The Doctor and Zara ran over, "What?!" The Doctor asked, looking up.

"They took my son." Jackson gasped. "No wonder my mind escaped, I thought Caroline was dead too! Those damned Cybermen, they took my child and wife. But they're alive, Doctor! Frederic, Caroline!"

The Doctor beckoned to Frederick, "Come on!"

Caroline quickly picked up her son, balancing him on her hip, "Stay there!" She shouted down at them. "Don't move! I'm coming." She ran towards the stairs, only for a large explosion and fire blocked the route. She scrambled to her feet, pulling Frederic with him back to where she was before. "I can't get down! Jackson!"

Zara looked over at the gauge, "They've finished with the motor. It's going to blow up." She gulped.

"What are we going to do, Doctor, Zara?!" Jackson gasped. "What are we going to do?!"

"Come on, Jackson." The Doctor pulled out the cutlass from Fairchild's from inside his inside pocket and wrapped his arm around a rope as Zara grinned at him. "You know me." He cut the rope and it lifted him into the air, landing next to Caroline and Frederic. "Oh, that's it."

"You always have to show off, don't you Doctor?" Caroline laughed, The Doctor winking back at her. "It's ok, I remember who I am. I know I'm not Zara Saxon."

The Doctor nodded and looked down at Frederic, "Hello! Now, hold on tight. Don't let go." Caroline picked him up and put him onto The Doctor's back before wrapping her arms around his middle. The Doctor grinned at her before swinging off the platform. He landed again at the bottom and stepped out of the fire and smoke, handing Frederic to Jackson.

"Merry Christmas!" The Doctor breathed, pulling Zara into a tight hug as Caroline appeared behind him.

"Jackson!" She gasped, running over and hugging him.

"Oh." Jackson sobbed, hugging both Caroline and Frederic tightly.

Zara pulled out of the hug, The Doctor still keeping a grip on her, "We need to get out of here!" She shouted over the sounds of the explosions going off around them.

...

The four of them, Frederic being carried by Jackson, ran into the cellar of 15 Latimer street.

"Head for the street." The Doctor told Jackson and Caroline as Zara ran over to the device, pulling out a scepter whilst Jackson and Caroline ran off.

"Come on, Zara, Doctor!" Jackson called over his shoulder. "Hurry up!"

"Gotcha!" Zara grinned, throwing The Doctor the scepter.

...

The four of them reached the river, looking up in horror at the factory above them, converted into a massive Cyberman body.

"It's a CyberKing." The Doctor breathed.

"And a CyberKing is what?" Jackson asked, handing Frederic to Caroline.

"It's a ship! Dreadnought class! Front line of an invasion. And inside the chest, a Cyberfactory, ready to convert millions!"

Zara turned and ran off, the others following.

...

The Doctor and Zara suddenly stopped in the middle of a street.

The Doctor turned to Caroline and Jackson, "Take him south, go to the parkland."

"But where are you two going?!" Caroline asked.

"To stop that thing."

"We should be with you!"

"Jackson, Caroline, you've got each other and your son." Zara said, looking between the two of them. "You've got a reason to live."

Jackson scoffed, "And you haven't?" He asked, looking between The Doctor and Zara. The Doctor simply looked back, taking Zara's hand. "God save you, Doctor, Zara."

The Doctor and Zara turned and ran off as Jackson, Caroline and Frederic headed south.

...

The Doctor and Zara bolted into the stables to find Jed, The Doctor handing Zara the sceptor and searching through the trunks.

"What the hell is that thing, sir, madam?" Jed asked.

"Oh, good man." Zara looked at him. "Jed, wasn't it? Jed, we need your help!" The Doctor pulled out another strap of infostamps.

"I'm not going out there!"

"We'll give you five pound notes!"

He nodded nervously, "Um... All right. What d'you want me to do?"

She grinned, "The TARDIS is gonna fly!"

She and The Doctor ran out into the stable yard, followed by Jed and up to the hot air balloon. The Doctor threw the infostamps into the basket and jumped in.

"You're flamin' bonkers, sir!" Jed cried.

"It's been said before!" Zara laughed, looking at the scepter. "Not enough power, come on!" The Doctor grabbed her hands and pulled her into the basket. "Jed! Let her loose!"

He began to run round, untying the ropes, !Ever flown one of these before?!

"Nope! Never!" The Doctor replied, pulling the ropes inside the basket.

"Can I have my money now?"

"Oh, get on with it!"

He untied the last rope and the balloon went flying up.

"God's luck to you, sir, madam!" Jed laughed, looking up at them.

...

As the balloon flew his above the city, Zara looked around quickly, before spotting the CyberKing as it turned to face them where inside the mouth, sat Hartigan, wired up to the machine with a device on her head, sat on a wooden chair with two Cybermen next to her.

"Excellent." She said smugly. "Zara Saxon and The Doctor! Yet another man and come to assert himself against me in the night."

"Miss Hartigan, we're offering you a choice." The Doctor called. "You might have the most remarkable mind this world has ever seen." He glanced at Zara out of the corner of his eye. "One of two maybe, but still! Strong enough to control the Cybermen themselves!"

"I don't need you to sanction me."

"No, but such a mind deserves to live!"

"The Cybermen came to this world using a Dimension Vault." Zara explained. "We can use that device to find you a home. With no people to convert. But a new world where you can live out your mechanical life in peace."

"I have the world below, and it is abundant with so many minds, ready to become extensions of me. Why would I leave this place?"

"Because if you don't, we'll have to stop you." The Doctor said regretfully.

"What do you make of me, sir? An idiot?"

"No. The question is, what do you make of me?" He took the infostamps and aimed them at the CyberKing.

"Destroy him!"

"You make _me_ into this." He sighed, firing at the CyberKing as Zara watched him, an odd look sketched on her face, when suddenly a beam hit the device attached to Hartigan's head, leaving her unharmed.

"Then I have made you a failure." She said smugly. "Your weapons are useless, sir."

"I wasn't trying to kill you. All I did was break the Cyber-connection, leaving your mind open. Open, I think, for the first time in far too many years, so you can see. Just look at yourself. Look at what you've done."

Zara stared at her sadly, "I'm sorry, Miss Hartigan. But look at what you've become." Hartigan looked around in horror, looking at the two Cybermen she no longer controlled, and began to scream. "I'm so sorry." She breathed.

She continued to scream as the energy from her brain channelled through the machine, blowing up the Cybermen before she suddenly blew into nothing. Suddenly, the Cyberking began to stagger as explosions went off through out its body.

Suddenly, a beeping filled the balloon and The Doctor picked up the sceptor.

"Oh. Now you're ready!" He cheered as Zara continued to look at him. He aimed the sceptor at the CyberKing and fired as it began to fall, engulfing it in the vortex and making it dissappear.

The two of them stared out at the emptiness in front of them before Zara gently took The Doctor's hand when suddenly, their thoughts were shaken by cheering down below. Zara laughed gently, leaning over and waving at the people down below as The Doctor rung the bell above them.

...

The Doctor, Zara, Jackson and Caroline made their way through the marketplace, avoiding destroyed stalls as they went.

"I defended myself against the Cybermen with Zara Saxon's infostamp, much like Jackson did with The Doctor's-" Caroline explained. "Just as they tried to kill me. Jackson was knocked out and the Zara inside my head was so confused and had no idea what was going on, she just chased after the Cybermen kidnapping a young boy, it was instinct." She shrugged. "So the Cybermen kidnapped me too, left me to look after the children they had I guess, keep the workforce alive. It wasn't long before it clicked in my head and my real memories returned, luckily I hadn't revealed to the Cybermen that I was, well I thought, I was Zara Saxon."

Zara smiled at her, "Are you guys going to be ok here?"

Jackson nodded, "The city will recover, as London always does. Though the events of today will be history, spoken of for centuries to come!"

"Yeah." The Doctor mused. "Funny that."

"And a new history begins for us." He smiled at Caroline. "We can start our lives we moved here for, but with not just my son and wife, with a good friend."

Him and Caroline looked back to see Rosita with Frederic and Jed.

"Now, take care of that one." The Doctor said, nodding at Rosita. "She's marvellous."

Caroline smiled, "I like her. Frederic will need a nursemaid and I can think of none better."

"But you're welcome to join us." Jackson offered. "We thought we might all dine together, at the Traveller's Halt, a Christmas feast, in celebration, and in memory of those we have lost. You won't stay?"

The Doctor sighed as they approached The TARDIS, "Like I said, you know me."

"No, I don't think anyone does." He spotted The TARDIS. "Oh! And this is it! Oh, if I might, Doctor? One last adventure?"

"Oh, be my guest." He unlocked the door and Jackson and Caroline peered in.

"Oh..."

The two walked in and paused by the ramp, Jackson looking around in awe, Caroline just smiling.

"Oh, my word. Oh." Jackson gasped, walking up to the console as Caroline just glanced round happily. "Oh, goodness me. But this is... But this is nonsense!"

Zara laughed, "Well, that's one word for it!"

"Complete and utter, wonderful nonsense! How very, very silly! Oh, no. I can't bear it! Oh, it's causing my head to ache. No, no, no, no, no, no, no..." He turned and ran on, Caroline laughing and following after him. "Oh! Oh, gracious. That's quite enough." He put and arm around Caroline as The Doctor shut the door behind him. "I take it this is goodbye."

The Doctor nodded, "Onwards and upwards."

"Tell me one thing. All those facts and figures I saw of The Doctor's life, you were never alone. All those bright and shining companions! But not any more?"

"No."

"Might I ask, why not?"

He took a deep breath, "They leave. Because they should," Zara gulped slightly, thinking of Martha. "Or they find someone else." The Human Zara. "And some of them… Some of them forget us." Donna. "I suppose, in the end…they break our hearts."

Caroline looked at Zara, "And you?"

Zara laughed, trying to lighten the mood, "I don't have companions." She shrugged.

"Well find one." Caroline chuckled. "Go get a companion."

"I will." Zara smiled. "I think I will."

"That offer of Christmas dinner, it's no longer a request, it's a demand." Jackson said.

Zara looked at The Doctor, "In memory of those we've lost." The Doctor breathed in sharply before nodding, "Oh, go on then!"

"Really?"

"Just this once." Zara beamed. "You've actually gone and changed his mind." She elbowed The Doctor in the side. "Not many people can do that!"

The Doctor smiled, "Jackson, if anyone had to be The Doctor, I'm glad it was you."

"The feast awaits. Come with me! Walk this way." He and Caroline turned and walked off.

The Doctor pulled on the TARDIS door, making sure it was locked, "I certainly will!" He took Zara's hand and they followed after them. "Merry Christmas to you, Jackson, Caroline."

"Merry Christmas, indeed, Doctor, Zara!"

...

Later that evening, Zara made her way around the console, carrying an oily rag, wearing a t shirt and sweat pants. She wiped around the console, stepping over an open grating as she went, The TARDIS giving her a hum.

"Oh I don't know!" She said to The TARDIS, pressing a button. "I just wish someone could of stopped him."

The TARDIS gave a loud, annoyed hum.

"Someone apart from me!" She argued. "I don't know, I just don't think I'm enough to stop him anymore."

The TARDIS leant out a groan, shaking the room slightly and making her stumble.

"Oi!" She snapped, continuing to wipe away oil. "It was different before, but now I'm _marrying_ him. If he's doing wrong and someone tells him to stop, or change something, or help, I want him to do it not because he loves me and wants to do what I ask, but because it's the right thing to do." She sighed, throwing the rag into the open grating and shutting it with her foot. "I don't know, maybe we need another arguing ginger around the place." She smiled to herself. "Hm." She turned and made her way towards a staircase. "Goodnight." She ran up the stairs and disappeared into a corridor as the lights of the console room turned off.


	2. Planet Of The Dead

Zara lay across the console floor, wearing a strapless purple dress with a black belt with a silver metal buckle on it, her toes gently tracing the metal grating. Next to her was an open grating, the sound of tinkering underneath wafting through the console room.

The Doctor popped up through the hole in the floor, holding a spanner, his glasses perched on his nose, a smudge of oil on his cheek.

"It's ok, you know." He said softly, brushing a strand of hair off her face.

Zara took the spanner from him, turning it from each end in her hands, "I know." She muttered. "But 4 months!" She snapped, throwing the spanner across the room, making it clang as it hit the floor.

She shut her eyes tightly in frustration. 4 months they'd been looking for the human versions of them, with no luck.

"Zar..." The Doctor sighed, placing a kiss on her forehead. "We can't hold back our wedding to look for them. They're _us_. They're gonna be happy wherever they are."

"They don't have a TARDIS or anything to help them-" She was suddenly cut off by a beeping from the console. The two of them shared a look before Zara jumped up, rushing over to the console and pulling round the scanner. "Uh, disturbance in London." She called over. "Wormhole." She reached under the console and pulled out a device with a spinning dish on. "Yowza." She muttered under her breath, pulling a lever on the console.

...

The Doctor and Zara, now wearing a short black leather jacket over her dress and a pair of black sandals, stepped on to a London bus, The Doctor swiping the psychic paper as they boarded.

"You're just in time." The driver told them.

The Doctor reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a half eaten easter egg, sitting down next to a woman dressed in black, Zara sitting down in front of them.

"Hello, I'm the Doctor and this is Zara!" The Doctor said cheerfully, holding out the egg to the woman. "Happy Easter! "

"Funny thing is, we don't often do Easter." Zara shrugged, turning round to face them.

The Doctor nodded, "We can never find it, it's always at a different time. Although we remember the original. Between you and us, what really happened was... "

A beeping sound emmited from The Doctor's pocket and he handed the woman the chocolate egg, "Oh, sorry, hold on to that for me." He said to her. "Actually, go on, have it, finish it. It's full of sugar and I'm determined to keep these teeth before the wedding." He bared his teeth at her as Zara reached into his pocket and pulled out the gadget they had in The TARDIS. "Ah! Oh, we've got excitation!" He exclaimed as Zara shook it and frowned, the other passengers giving them strange looks.

"It's picking up something very strange." Zara muttered.

"I know the feeling." The woman sighed, looking out of the window.

"Rhondium particles, that's what I'm looking for." The Doctor explained, not noticing Zara stare at the gadget in confusion. "This thing detects them." He tapped the gadget. "The little dish should go round, that little dish there..."

"Right now, a way out would come in pretty handy. Can you detect me one of those?"

One of the passengers, an older black woman, Carmen, looked at her husband, "Lou, can you hear them?" She asked.

Lou, an older black man looked at her, "Hear what, sweetheart?"

"The voices. So many voices. Calling to us. Calling so far."

The dish on the device began to spin, "Oh, the little dish is going round!" He cheered.

"Fascinating." The woman muttered sarcastically.

"And round. Whoa..." The dish began to spin faster until part of it exploded, making The Doctor and Zara jolt back.

A blonde woman, Angela, looked over at them, "Excuse me. Do you mind?"

The Doctor stood up, "Sorry. That was my little dish."

"Can't you turn that thing off?" The woman asked as The Doctor and Zara looked at each other.

Zara turned to her, "What was your name?"

"Christina."

"Christina, hold on tight." The Doctor sat down and they both grabbed onto handles. "Everyone, hold on!" She shouted.

Suddenly, the bus lurched and shook, making the passengers scream as they were thrown about, The Doctor flying to the floor.

"The voices!" Carmen gasped. "Oh, the voices, they're screaming!"

One of the windows shattered and sparks flew from the overhead wires as a young man, Nathan, fell from down the stairs from the top deck.

"What's going on?!" He shouted.

A blinding light filled the bus and more windows shattered as Zara jumped up, moving towards the driver.

As everything calmed down, The Doctor looked up from the floor to find sunlight streaming through the windows. He stiffened suddenly, looking round for Zara in fear, before his eyes finally set on her standing upright at the front of the bus, unharmed, staring out of the closed doors.

"Zar?" He called quietly.

He got up and looked out of the windows to find themselves in an empty desert. She pressed the button on the door as The Doctor got up after her, the other passengers following.

"End of the line." She breathed, stepping out with The Doctor.

"Call it a hunch, but I think we've gone a little bit further than Brixton." The Doctor muttered.

Christina and the other passengers stepped out after them and they all glanced up at the top deck of the bus, now crushed and ripped, smoke wafting from it.

The Doctor got down to the floor and picked up some sand, letting it sift through his fingers.

Angela glanced up at the sky, "That's impossible. There are three suns. Three of them!" She gasped.

"Like when all those planets were up in the sky!" A young black man, Barclay, added.

"But it was Earth that moved back then, wasn't it?" Nathan asked.

"Oh, man, we're on another world!"

"It's still intact, though!" The driver said, looking up at the bus, "Not as bad as it looks. The chassis's still holding together. Oh, my boss is gonna murder me!"

"Can you still drive it?" Angela asked.

He shook his head, "Oh, no, the wheels are stuck. Look at them, they're never gonna budge."

Zara turned and looked at Christina, who had taken off her jacket to reveal a black short-sleeve top, putting on a pair of sunglasses.

"Ready for every emergency." She remarked as The Doctor looked up at her.

Zara raised an eyebrow at her as The Doctor removed his glasses, used the sonic on the to make them tinted and put them back on.

"Me too!" The Doctor replied, turning back to examine the sand.

"And what's your name?" She asked.

"I'm Zara and this is the Doctor." Zara said, kneeling beside The Doctor.

She looked at The Doctor, "Name, not rank."

"The Doctor." The Doctor muttered.

"Surname?"

"The Doctor."

"You're called 'the Doctor'?"

Zara nodded, "Yes, he is."

"That's not a name, that's a psychological condition."

"Funny sort of sand, this." The Doctor said. "There's a trace of something else." He put some sand on the tip of his tongue. "Ack. Eurgh." Zara frowned at him. "Blah, that's not good."

"Well, it wouldn't be, it's sand."

"No, it tastes like..." He stood up, shaking his head. "Never mind." He flicked Zara's belt buckle giving her a look.

"Metal?" She mouthed at him, earning a small nod.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Christina asked.

As the other passengers began to come over, Barcalay started pointing at The Doctor.

"Hold on a minute, I saw you and your missus, mate!" He exclaimed. "You had that thing, that machine. Did you make this happen?"

"Oh, humans on buses, always blaming us." Zara muttered, turning to him. "If you must know, we were tracking a hole in the fabric of reality. Call it a hobby. But it was a tiny little hole, no danger to anyone. Suddenly it gets big, and we drive right through it."

"But then where is it?" The Driver asked. "There's nothing, there's just sand!"

The Doctor sighed, "All right. If you want proof," He reached down and picked up some sand. "We drove through this." He walked over behind the bus and threw the sand, revealing a swirling vortex which quickly disappeared.

"And that's?" Christina asked.

"A door. A door in space."

"So what you're saying is, on the other side of that is home?" The Driver asked. "We can get to London through there?"

"The bus came through, but we can't."

The Driver looked back at the others, "Well, then what are we waiting for?"

"Oh, no, don't."

The Driver rushed for the portal, "I'm going home, mate!" He called over his shoulder.

"I said don't!" The Doctor shouted.

The Driver suddenly hit the portal and burst out screaming as his body caught fire, burning to a skeleton before disappearing, The Doctor and Zara staring as everyone else began to panic.

"He was a skeleton, man!" Barclay exclaimed. "He was bones, just bones!"

Zara headed over to the bus, The Doctor following, "It was the bus." She explained. "Look at the damage, that was the bus protecting us. Great big box of metal."

"Rather like a Faraday cage?" Christina asked.

"Like in a thunderstorm, yeah?" Nathan asked as he comforted Angela. "Safest place is inside a car, cos the metal conducts the lightning right through. We did it in school."

"But if we can only travel back inside the bus... A Faraday cage needs to be closed. That thing's been ripped wide open."

Zara shook her head, "Slightly different dynamics with a wormhole." She looked at the bus. "There's enough metal to make it work, I think. I hope."

"Then we have to drive five tonnes of bus, which is currently buried in the sand, and we've got nothing but our bare hands. Correct?"

The Doctor looked at her, "I'd say nine and a half tonners, but the point still stands, yes." He said.

"Then we need to apply ourselves to the problem with discipline! Which starts with appointing a leader."

"Yes, at last, thank you, so..."

"Well, thank goodness you've got me!" Christina interrupted, making Zara look over at The Doctor, amused. "Everyone do exactly as I say! Inside the bus immediately!"

"Is it safe in there?" Nathan asked.

"I don't think anything's safe any more, but if it's a choice between baking in there or roasting out here, I'd say baking is slower. Come on! All of you. Right now!" She looked at The Doctor. "And you. 'The Doctor'."

The Doctor eyed her, "Yes, ma'am."

"Up! Come on!"

...

The group of passengers sat in the boiling heat on the bus as Christina stood at the front of the bus, adressing them. Back where they'd been sitting before, The Doctor sat with his arm around Zara, playing with her hair gently.

"Point five, the crucial thing is, do not panic." Christina continued. "Quite apart from anything else, the smell of sweat inside this thing is reaching atrocious levels. We don't need to add any more. Point six. Team identification. Names. I'm Christina," She gestured over to The Doctor and Zara. "This woman and man are apparently 'the Doctor' and 'Zara'."

Zara waved at them, "Hello." The Doctor said cheerfully.

She looked to Nathan, "And you?"

He waved, "Nathan."

"I'm Barclay." Barclay added.

"Angela," Angela said feebly. "Angela Whittaker."

"My name's Louis, everyone calls me Lou," Lou introduced before gesturing to his wife. "And this is Carmen."

"Excellent." Christina smiled. "Memorise those names. There might be a test. Point seven, assessment and application of knowledge." She raised an eyebrow at The Doctor and Zara. "Over to you, the Doctor and Zara."

Zara frowned, "I thought you were in charge."

"I am. And a good leader utilises her strength. You two seem to be the brainboxes. So, start boxing."

"Right. So, the wormhole." The Doctor began explained, sitting back in his seat with Zara. "We were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was just an accident."

"No, it wasn't." Carmen interrupted. "That thing, the doorway. Someone made it. For a reason."

"How do you know?" Zara asked as she and The Doctor looked at her.

"She's got a gift." Lou smiled. "Ever since she was a little girl, she can just... tell things. We do the lottery, twice a week."

Christina frowned, "You don't look like millionaires."

"No, but we win ten pounds. Every week, twice a week, ten pounds. Don't tell me that's not a gift!"

The Doctor shared a look with Zara before putting his hand behind his back, holding up three fingers, "Tell me, Carmen. How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Three." She said before he raised another finger. "Four."

"Very good!"

Zara nodded, impressed, "Low level psychic ability, exacerbated by an alien sun." She got up and sat down across from her. "What can you see, Carmen? Tell me. What's out there?"

She looked out into the distance, "Something... Something is coming. Riding on the wind. And shining."

The Doctor frowned, "What is it?" He asked.

"Death. Death is coming."

"We're going to die." Angela sobbed as the whole bus began to panic.

"I knew it, man, I said so." Barclay exclaimed.

"We can't die out here." Nathan gulped. "No-one's gonna find us."

The passengers began to talk, overlapping each other.

"This isn't exactly helping." Christina said.

"Shut up, we're not your soldiers." Barclay snapped.

"It's not doing any good..." Nathan said.

"You're upsetting her, be quiet." Lou said, frowning.

"Will we be bones, like the bus driver?!"

"Stop whimpering, all of you!" Christina said, rolling her eyes.

Suddenly Zara stood up, holding her fingers to her lips and whistling loudly, making silence fall through the bus. "All right now." She said calmly, Angela's sobs being the only sound left. She looked over at The Doctor, who stared at her, confused. "Donna taught me." She smiled sadly.

The Doctor got up and moved over to Angela, grabbing her shoulders, "Angela, look at me. Angela, Angela, answer me one question, Angela. That's it, at me, at me." She stopped crying and looked at him. "There we go, Angela, just answer me one thing. When you got on this bus, where were you going?"

"Doesn't matter now, does it?" Angela sniffed.

"Answer the question."

"Just home."

"And what's home?"

"Me, and Mike and Suzanne, that's my daughter. She's 18."

"Suzanne. Good." He sat down and looked at Barclay. "What about you?"

"Dunno." He shrugged. "Going round Tina's."

"Who's Tina? Your girlfriend?"

"Not yet."

"Good boy." The Doctor smiled, sharing a smirk with Zara.

"What about you, Nathan?" Zara asked.

"Bit strapped for cash, I lost my job last week." Nathan shrugged. "I was gonna stay in. Watch TV."

"Brilliant." She smiled, looking back round at Lou and Carmen. "And you two?"

"I was going to cook." Lou said.

"It's his turn tonight." Carmen smiled. "Then I clear up."

"What's for tea?" The Doctor asked.

"Chops." Lou said. "Nice couple of chops and gravy. Nothing special."

"Oh, that's special, Lou. That is so special. Chops and gravy. Mmm!" He looked back at Christina. "What about you, Christina?"

"I was going... so far away." Christina sighed.

"Far away. Chops and gravy. Watching TV. Mike and Suzanne and poor old Tina."

"Hey!" Barclay exclaimed.

"Just think of them." Zara said, smiling at everyone. "'Cos that planet out there, all three suns and wormholes and alien sand, that planet is nothing. You hear me? Nothing compared to all those things waiting for you. Food and home and people. Hold on to that. Cos we're gonna get there. I promise. The Doctor and I are gonna get you home."

...

Barclay and Nathan stepped off the bus and walked over to The Doctor and Zara, holding seat cushions.

"Here we go!" The Doctor cheered. "That's my boys! We lay a flat surface between the bus and the wormhole, like duckboards, and reverse into it!"

"Let some air out of the tyres, just a little bit." Christina said. "Spreads the weight of the bus, gives you more grip."

The Doctor nodded, impressed, "Oh, that's good!"

"Holidays in the Kalahari."

Barclay frowned, "Yeah, but those wheels go deep."

"Then start digging."

"With what?"

"With this." She reached into her backpack and pulled out a folded shovel.

Zara took it from her, eyeing it, before opening it up and handing it to Barclay, "Got anything else in there?" She asked.

She reached into her bag again and pulled out a small axe, "Try that, might help with the seats." She handed it over to Nathan.

"Thanks!" Nathan nodded, taking it and heading back to the bus.

"I can't find the keys." Angela called from the drivers seat.

The Doctor looked up and ran to the front of the bus, peering round to find Angela observing the buttons around the wheel.

"Buses don't have keys." He explained. "There's a master switch, one button for start, the other one for stop, yeah?"

"Right." She nodded. "Hold on, oh, I've got it." She flicked a switch. "Here we go, hold tight, ding ding!" She pressed the button, only for the engine to splutter and die.

"Oh, that doesn't sound too good." He ran round and opened up the engine, looking at it. "Oh! Never mind losing half the top deck, you know what's worse?" He mumbled. "Sand. Tiny little grains of sand. The engine's clogged up."

"Anyone know mechanics?" Christina asked, making her way round with Barclay and Nathan.

"Me!" Barclay said. "I did a two-week NVQ at the garage. Never finished it, but..." He trailed off.

"Off you go then, try stripping the air filter, fast as you can." Zara said as The Doctor took her hand, heading off towards the dunes. "Back in two ticks."

"Wait a minute!" Christina said, following after us. "You're the man and woman with all the answers. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

...

The Doctor, Christina and Zara walked through the desert, out of sight from the bus.

The Doctor eyed Christina's backpack, "Easier if you left that backpack behind."

"Where I go, it goes." She remarked.

"A backpack with a spade and an axe." Zara frowned. "Christina, who's going so far away, and yet scared by the sound of a siren. Who are you?"

"You can talk. Let's just say we're three equal mysteries."

"We'd make quite a team." The Doctor said.

"We don't make any sort of team, thank you very much. Come on then. Tell me. If Carmen's right, if that wormhole's not an accident, then what is it? Has someone done this on purpose?"

The three of them stopped walking, Zara looking out into the distance.

"I don't know." The Doctor muttered. "But every single instinct of mine is telling me to get off this planet, right now." He eyed Zara, concerned, and rubbed the small of her back gently.

"And do you think we can?"

"We live in hope."

"That must be nice. It's Christina de Souza." She held her hand out to The Doctor. "To be precise, Lady Christina de Souza."

The Doctor shook her hand, "Ooh, that's handy. Cos Zara's also a Lady and I'm a Lord."

"Seriously? The Lord and Lady of where?"

"It's quite a big estate." Zara muttered, breaking her silence.

Christina frowned at them, "No, but there's something more about you. That device you were carrying, and the wormhole. Like you knew. And the way you stride around this place, like..."

"Like?"

"Like you're not quite..." She eyed Zara nervously. "Like you're not quite real."

Zara laughed bitterly, "Oh, I'm not."

"Anyway!" The Doctor interrupted. "Come on! Allons-y!" He took Zara's hand and continued on.

Christina followed after them, "Oui, mais pas si nous allons vers un cauchemar."

The Doctor laughed as they stopped on a high dune and looked across the horizon at a storm in the distance.

"Ah." The Doctor winced. "Don't like the look of that."

Christina shaded her eyes, "Storm clouds. Must be hundreds of miles away."

"Getting closer."

"If that's a sand storm, we'll get ripped to shreds."

"It's a storm." Zara mumbled. "Who says it's sand?"

The three of them shared a look before turning and running back.

...

The Doctor and Zara ran onto the bus, followed by Christina and Barclay.

"Where is it?" The Doctor asked in a panic.

"There, there on the seat." Barclay exclaimed.

The Doctor picked up the mobile and used the sonic on it.

"You're hardly going to get a signal, we're on another planet!" Christina scoffed.

"Oh, just watch us." Zara said.

"Right, now, bit of hush, thank you." The Doctor interrupted. "Gotta remember the number, very important number." He began to dial.

"Hello, Pizza Geronimo?" A voice on the phone asked.

The Doctor hung up, "Seven-six, not six-seven..." Zara corrected him as he dialled again.

"This is the Unified Intelligence Taskforce." A voice on the phone called. "Please select one of the following four options."

"Oh, I hate these things!" The Doctor grumbled.

"No, if you keep your finger pressed on zero, you get through to a real person." Angela called. "I saw it on Watchdog!"

"Thank you, Angela!" The Doctor said, sitting down with Zara.

"UNIT helpline, which department would you like?" A woman over the phone asked.

"Listen, it's the Doctor and Zara! It's me!"

After a few moments of scuffling, the phone was handed to someone else.

"Doctor, Zara. This is Captain Erisa Magambo." A female voice answered. "Might I say, sir, it's an honour."

Zara frowned at the phone, "Did you just salute?" She asked.

"No."

"Erisa, it's about the bus." The Doctor said. "HQ said you're at the tunnel, yeah?"

"And where are you?"

"We're on the bus." Zara sighed. "But apart from that, not a clue," The two of them looked out the window. "Except it's very pretty and pretty dangerous."

"A body came through here. Have you sustained any more fatalities?"

"No, and we're not going to." The Doctor sighed. "But we're stuck. We haven't got the Tardis, and we need to analyse that wormhole."

"We have a scientific advisor on site, Dr Malcolm Taylor."

"Oh, is he?" The Doctor asked as they listened to some scuffling in the background, Erisa going to find Malcom. "We'll see about that."

"Here's the Doctor and Zara." Erisa said to someone.

"No, I'm all right now, thanks." A high pitched man said to her. "It was just a bit of a sore throat, although I've got to be honest, a cup of tea might be nice."

"It's THE Doctor and THE Zara."

"Do you mean... "the Doctor and Zara" Doctor, Zara?!"

"I know. We all want to meet them one day, but we all know what that day will bring."

"We can hear everything you're saying." The Doctor said as they listened to the phone be passed over to Malcom.

"Hello, Doctor, Zara?" Malcom gasped. "Oh, my goodness!"

"Yes, we are." The Doctor shared a smile with Zara. "Hello, Malcolm!"

Malcom chuckled, "Zara and The Doctor! Cor blimey. I can't believe I'm actually speaking to you! I mean, I've read all the files!"

"Really? What was your favourite, the giant robot?" He shook his head. "No, no hold on, let's sort out that wormhole. 'Scuse me."

The two of them moved to the front of the bus, Christina following. The Doctor sat in the drivers seat, Zara and Christina standing next to him.

"Malcolm, something's not making sense here." Zara said into the phone. "We've got a storm and a wormhole, and I can't help thinking there's a connection. We need a complete full-range analysis of that wormhole, the whole thing."

"I've probably got the wrong idea, but I've wired up an integrator." Malcom said. "I thought it could measure the energy signature."

"No, that'll never work. Just listen to me."

"It's quite extraordinary, though! I'm measuring an oscillation of 15 Malcolms per second."

The Doctor and Zara frowned, sharing a look, "Fifteen what?" The Doctor asked.

"Fifteen Malcolms. It's my own little term. A wavelength parcel of ten kilohertz operating in four dimensions equals one Malcolm."

"You named a unit of measurement after yourself?"

"It didn't do Mr Watt any harm. Furthermore, 100 Malcolms equals a Bernard."

"And who's that, your dad?" The Doctor asked.

"Don't be ridiculous, that's Quatermass."

"Right. Fine. But before I die of old age-

"Which in his case would be quite an achievement-" Zara added.

"So congratulations on that, is there anyone else I can talk to?"

"No, no, no, no, but listen!" Malcom said. "I set the scanner to register what it can't detect and inverted the image."

"You did what?" The Doctor blinked, sharing a look with Zara.

"Is that wrong?"

"No, Malcolm, that's brilliant! So you can actually measure the wormhole."

"OK, I admit, that is genius!" Zara grinned.

"Zara called me a genius." Malcom gasped.

"I know, I heard." Erisa muttered.

"Now, run a capacity scan." The Doctor continued. "We need a full report. Call us back when you've done it. And Malcolm? You're my new best friend."

"And you're mine too, sir." The Doctor quickly hung up the call . "Barclay, I'm holding on to this." He called back as he and Zara went out of the door.

"Then you'd better bring it back!" Barclay called.

Christina followed after them and the three of them walked out into the desert again.

...

The three of them stood on the dune, The Doctor taking pictures on the mobile.

"Send this back to Earth, see if Malcolm can analyse the storm." The Doctor muttered, holding up Barclay's phone and snapping a picture.

"There's something in those clouds, something shining." Christina frowned. "Look..."

"Like metal..." He took another picture.

"Why would there be metal in a storm?"

Zara shrugged, "It's a big universe."

Christina frowned at the sound of chirping, "Did you hear something?"

"Hold on." The Doctor mumbled. "Busy."

"There was a noise, like a sort of..." She looked around. "Zara, Doctor..."

They looked round to see a creature with a human body and head of a fly, holding an alien gun in its hand, aiming it at them, when it spoke to them in a chirrup.

Zara quickly replied in the same language, stepping in front of The Doctor, "That's 'wait'." She translated quickly. "We shout 'wait', people usually wait."

"You speak the language?" Christina frowned.

"Every language."

The Doctor said something to the alien, "That's begging for mercy." He explained.

The alien motioned to them with its gun.

"That means 'move.'" Christina said.

"Ooh! You're learning."

The creature marched them off in front of it.

...

"These fly things, they must be responsible." Christina said as they reached the creature's crashed ship. "They brought us here."

"No, no, no, no, no!" The Doctor defended. "Look at the ship, it's a wreck. They crashed, just like us."

...

The three of them were led through the ship, the interior looking like they had been trying to make repairs, wires and electronics exposed.

"But this place is freezing!" Christina exclaimed, shivering.

"The hull's made of Photafine steel." Zara explained. "Turns cold when it's hot. Boiling desert outside, freezing ship inside. Since we met you, Christina, we've been through all the extremes!"

"That's how I like things. Extreme." She said flirtily, looking at The Doctor.

The Doctor eyed the broken ship, "Intact, it must have been magnificent. A proper streamlined deep-spacer!"

"I'll remember that as I'm being slowly tortured. At least I'm bleeding on the floor of a really well-designed spaceship!"

As they reached a control room, a second, identical creature joined them and the first one, and touched a translation device attached to his clothes.

"Oh, right, good, yes, hello!" The Doctor said.

"That's a telepathic translator." Zara explained, pointing to the translator. "He can understand us."

"Still sounds like gibberish to me." Christina muttered.

"That's what I said, he can understand us. Doesn't work the other way round." The Doctor clarified as the creatures began to speak, him translating. "You will suffer for your crimes." Et cetera. "You have committed an act of violence against the Tritovore race." Tritovores, they're called Tritovores. "You came here in the 200 to destroy us." Sorry, what's the 200?"

"It's the bus." Zara smiled at him, taking his hand. "Number 200, they mean the bus."

"Oh! No, look, I think you're making the same mistake Christina did. I'm the Doctor and this is my fiancee, Zara Saxon." He pointed to Christina. "And this is Christina, the Honourable Lady Christina, at least I hope she's honourable! But we got pulled through that wormhole. The 200 doesn't look like that normally. It's broken, just the same as you."

The two Tritovores spoke to each other before lowering their guns.

"What are they doing?" Christina asked.

"They believe us." Zara explained.

"What, as simple as that?"

"I've got a very honest face." The Doctor shrugged. "And the translator says I'm telling the truth. Plus, the face. Right! So, first things first, there's a very strange storm heading our way, can you send out a probe?"

The Doctor and Zara bolted over to a control panel, followed by the Tritovore with a translator, speaking to to them as we went.

"Ah, they've lost power." Zara winced. "Hmm, the crash knocked the mainline crystallography out of synch."

"But if I can jiggle it back..." The Doctor said. He kicked the panel, sending the power over the ship. "I thank you!" The Tritovore chittered at them as the couple shared a grin. "Yes, I am! Frequently. Okey-doke, let's launch that probe."

...

The Doctor put his arm around Zara, placing a kiss to her forehead as the two of them and Christina watched the hologram from the probe.

"The Scorpion Nebula." The Doctor said, nodding at the hologram of the nebula. "We're on the other side of the universe. Just what you wanted, so far away." The probe zoomed in, showing the planet. "The planet of San Helios."

"And that's us?" Christina asked, staring. "We're on another world."

Zara nodded, "We have been for quite a while."

"I know, but seeing it like that..."

The Doctor smiled, "It's good, isn't it?"

"Wonderful."

The Trivitores began to chirp at them.

"The Tritovores were going to trade with San Helios." Zara translated. "Population of one hundred billion. Plenty of waste matter for them to absorb."

"By waste matter, you mean?"

"They feed off what others leave behind." The Doctor explained. "From their... behind, if you see what I mean. It's perfectly natural. They are flies."

"Charming. Just remind me never to kiss them."

The projection switched over, showing a thriving city with trees and green parks.

"San Helios City."

"That's amazing." Christina said, looking at The Doctor and Zara. "But you've seen this sort of thing before, haven't you?"

Zara nodded, "Thousands of times."

"That Lady and Lordship of yours... The Lord and Lady of where, exactly?"

"Of Time." The Doctor said softly. "We come from a race of people called Time Lords."

Her eyes widened, "You're an alien?"

"Yeah. But you don't have to kiss us either."

"You look human."

"You look Time Lord." Zara shrugged. "Anyway!"

"So if that's San Helios, all we need to do is find that city. They can help us!"

"I don't think it's that simple." Zara sighed as the projection changed to the desert. "We're in the city right now."

"But it's sand!" Christina frowned. "That first image, the temples and things, what's that, then? Ancient history?"

One of the Tritovores chirruped at them.

"The image was taken last year." The Doctor said sadly.

"It became a desert in one year?"

The Doctor bent over, "I said there was something in the sand." Sand fell through his fingers. "The city, the oceans, the mountains, the wildlife and 100 billion people, turned to sand. All those voices in Carmen's head. She's hearing them die."

"But I've got sand in my hair." Christina exclaimed, running a hand through her hair. "That's dead people! Oh, that's disgusting! Oh!"

"Something destroyed the whole of San Helois." Zara muttered.

"Yes, but in my hair!"

The mobile suddenly rang and The Doctor pulled it out of his pocket, answering it, "Malcolm! Tell us the bad news!"

"Oh, you two are clever!" Malcom replied. "It is bad news! It's the wormhole, Doctor, Zara, it's getting bigger! We've gone way past 100 Bernards, I haven't invented a name for that."

Zara grabbed the phone, "How can it get bigger by itself?" She asked.

"Well, that's why I'm phoning! You'll work it out, if I know you, ma'am."

"Doctor, Zara we estimate the circumference of your invisible wormhole is now four miles," Erisa called from the background. "Heading upwards. I've grounded all flights above London. We can't risk anyone else falling through."

"Good work, both of you." The Doctor called.

"But I have to know. Does that wormhole constitute a danger to this planet?"

The phone suddenly beeped and The Doctor snatched back the phone, looking at it.

"Oh, sorry, call waiting, gotta go." He quickly cut off, switching calls. "Yep?"

"Doctor, it's Nathan." Nathan said feebly. "We got those duckboard things down, but..."

"It's my fault." Angela sobbed in the background.

"No, it's not, don't say that."

"Why, what's happened?" The Doctor asked, sharing a concerned look with Zara.

"We kept on turning the engine, but... We're out of petrol. Used it all up. Even if we can get those wheels out...This bus is never going to move."

The Doctor lowered the phone, sharing a look with Zara.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Christina asked. "Zara, Doctor, tell me."

"You promised you'd get us home." Nathan said on the phone. "Zara? Doctor? Are you still there?"

"Zara, Doctor, tell me, what did he say?"

A beeping came from one of the monitors suddenly and the Tritovores chirruped excitedly.

"It's the probe." The Doctor said, looking at the hologram. "It's reached the storm."

"And what's he saying?" Christina asked, eyeing the Tritovores.

"It's not a storm." Zara mumbled as they looked at the screen, showing a video from the prode of a mass of creatures that looked like flying manta rays.

"It's a swarm." Christina gasped. "Millions of them."

"Billions." The Doctor muttered. "Ah!" He winced as the connection to the probe cut off. "We've lost the probe. I think it got eaten. Everything on this planet gets eaten."

"How far away is that swarm?" Christina asked.

"Hundred miles." Zara said. "But at that speed, it'll be here in twenty minutes."

The Tritovore chirruped at them.

"No, they're not just coming for us." The Doctor responded. "They want the wormhole.

"They're heading for Earth!" Christina gasped.

"Show the analysis."

One of the Tritovores quickly pulled up a 3D image of the creatures on a screen.

"Incredible!" The Doctor remarked. "They swarm out of a wormhole, strip the planet bare, then move on to the next world, start the life cycle all over again."

"So, they make the wormholes?" Christina asked.

"They must do." Zara shrugged.

"But how? They don't exactly look like technicians. And if the wormhole belongs to them, why are they 100 miles away?"

"Because they need to be? No. That's bonkers." He shook his head. "Hang on! Yes! Oh! Do you see? Billions of them, flying in formation, all around the planet, round and round and round, faster and faster and faster, till they generate a rupture in space!"

"The speed of them, and the numbers, and the size, all of that rips the wormhole into existence!" Zara continued excitedly.

"And the wormhole's getting bigger?" Christina asked.

"Because they're getting closer!"

"But how do they get through? Cos that wormhole's a killer, we've seen it!"

"No, no, see the exo-skeleton?" The Doctor said, pointing on the screen to the creature's metal bones.

"Metal."

"They've got bones of metal! They eat metal, and extrude it into the exo-skeleton! So their velocity makes the wormhole, then their body makes it safe! Perfect design!" He shared a grin with Zara.

"Those things are going to turn the entire Earth into a desert." Christina frowned. "So why exactly are you two smiling?"

"Worse it gets, the more we love it!" The Doctor laughed.

"Me too." She grinned. "The thing is, Zara, Doctor, you're missing the obvious. We came here through the wormhole, yes? But our Tritovore friends didn't." She nodded at the Trivitore. "They came here to trade with San Helios. Therefore, the question is, why did they crash?"

"Ah, good question! What a team!" He turned back to the Tritovores. "Like she said, why did you crash?"

...

One of the Tritovores led the three of them into another room where there was a large open hole in the floor, a gravity well.

"Oh, yes." Zara laughed, jogging up to the gravity well and peering in. "Gravity Well, look. Goes all the way down to the engine. So what happened?" The Tritovore chirruped at them. "He says the drive system stalled. Ten miles up, they fell out of the sky. But what caused that?" It shrugged.

"Which means, 'no idea'." Christina said.

"Yeah." The Doctor nodded, moving over to Zara and also looking it. "But wait a minute, that's a crystal nucleus down there, yes?" It chirruped at them. "And it looks like it survived the crash. If the crystal's intact... Oh, yes, that's better than diesel!"

"What, you can use the crystal to move the bus?"

"I think so. The spaceship's a write-off, but the 200's small enough."

"How does a Crystal drive a bus?"

"In a super-clever outer-spacey way, just trust me!" He turned and pulled up a feed on a monitor, showing where the crystal was. "There's the crystal! It's fallen to the bottom of the well."

Zara turned to the Tritovore. "Have you got access shafts?" It chirruped back at her. "All frozen?"

"Maybe we can open them!" The Doctor suggested, pulling three comms out of his pocket, throwing one to Christina, giving one to Zara and putting the last in his ear. "Internal comms, put that on. You stay here, keep an eye on the shaft. Tell me if anything happens." He grabbed Zara's hand and pulled her out of the room, the Trivitore following.

...

The two of them ran into the control room and up to a separate bank of machinery each.

"If we can use that sunlight to start the automatic maintenance." The Doctor remarked. "Christina?" He called through the comm.

Zara pulled out wires from the bank, "If you see a panel opening in that shaft, let me know." She called through the comm.

"Nothing yet." Christina replied.

The Doctor connected two cables, "Anything now?"

"'Fraid not."

"Any sign of movement?" Zara asked.

"Nope."

The Doctor pressed a few buttons, "How's that?"

"Nothing."

Zara frowned, "Any result?"

"Not a dickie bird." She sighed. "So let me get this right. You need that crystal? Then consider it done."

The Doctor and Zara shared a look, "Why, what d'you mean? Christina?"

"Christina!" The Doctor shouted, the two of them running from the room.

"The aristocracy survives for a reason." Christina said. "We're ready for anything."

As the two of them ran in, Christina dove into the gravity well, attached to a harness that had wires connected to a pulley, sitting by the well.

"No!" Zara shouted.

The Doctor ran over to the pulley, quickly sonicing it and abruptly stopping Christina.

"That's better." He sighed.

"I decide when I stop, thank you." Christina called through the comm.

Zara peered down, seeing her just above a cracking energy field, "You're about to hit the security grid." She said, stepping back. "Look!"

"Excellent. So what do I do?"

"Try the big red button."

Christina reached out and pressed the button, "Well done!"

"Now come back up!" The Doctor ordered. "I can do that."

"Oh, don't you wish?"

"Slowly!"

"Yes, sir." She continued down the well head first.

"Quite the mystery, aren't you?" The Doctor eyed her bag. "Lady Christina de Souza. Carrying a winch in her bag."

"No stranger than you, spaceman and insane girl."

"We had this friend, once." Zara said sadly, the two of them sitting down. "She called us insane girl and spaceman."

"And was she right? Do you zoom about the place in a rocket and are bonkers?"

"Well, a little blue box." The Doctor shrugged. "Travels in more than space. It can journey through time, Christina. Oh, the places Zara and I have been."

Zara nodded in agreement, "World War One. Creation of the universe, end of the universe, the war between China and Japan." She frowned as The Doctor peered into Christina's bag and pulled out a gold chalice. "And the Court of King Athelstan, in 924 AD. But I don't remember you being there."

"So what are you doing with this?" The Doctor asked.

"Excuse me." Christina remarked. "A gentleman never goes through a lady's possessions."

The Tritovore chirrupped at them, looking at the chalice.

"It's the Cup of Athelstan." Zara clarified. "Given to the first King of Britain, as a coronation gift from Hywel, King of the Welsh. But it's been held in the International Gallery for 200 years, which makes you, Lady Christina, a thief."

"I like to think I liberated it." Christina said.

"Don't tell me you need the money." The Doctor frowned.

"Daddy lost everything. Invested his fortune in the Icelandic banks."

"No, no, no, if you're short of cash, you rob a bank. Stealing this, that's a lifestyle."

"I take it you disapprove?"

"Absolutely." He scoffed.

"Except, that little blue box." Zara smiled. "He stole it. From our own people."

"Good boy. You were right. We're quite a team." Suddenly, a loud screeching sound emitted from the lower levels of the ship. "What the blazes was that?" Christina gasped.

"We never did find out why the ship crashed." The Doctor said, worried. "Christina, I think you should come back up."

"Too late. I can see it."

"Careful. Slowly." He turned to the Tritovore. "Have you got an open-vent system?" It chirrupped back at them. "I thought so."

"What does that mean?"

"It's like when birds fly into the engines of an aircraft." Zara explained.

"One of the creatures." Christina whispered.

The Doctor and Zara shared a nervous look, realising one of the creatures was in the bottom of the ship.

"Got trapped in the vents." The Doctor continued. "Caused the crash. Christina, get out." He grabbed Zara's hand and pulled the both of them up.

"It's not moving, I think it's injured."

"No, it's dormant, because it's so cold down there." Zara said calmly. "But your body heat is raising the temperature."

"I tend to have that effect. Almost there." She muttered.

"Not just the crystal. We need the whole bed, the plate thing."

"I've got it!" She gasped.

The Doctor quickly pulled out the sonic again, sonicing the pulley, making it pull back up very quickly. "Come on, come on!" He muttered. "Come on, come on, come on, come on! It's gonna eat its way up!" Zara looked over the edge as Christina came flying further towards them, the creature following. She quickly hit the security button, turning on the field as she went past. The creature flew into the field, shrieking. "Oh, she's good!" Christina came flying to the top of the well and The Doctor swung her over to the side, taking the crystal and the couplings from her hands. "That's it, that's it. I've got you, I've got you!" Zara walked forward, taking the crystal from The Doctor as the Trivitore chirruped at them. "Isn't she just?"

...

The three of them, followed by the Tritovore ran to the control room to find the other Tritovore standing by the controls.

"Commander!" Zara called, holding up the crystal. "Mission complete! Now we've got to get back to the 200, all of us." The Tritovore chirruped at them. "Oh, don't be so daft! A captain can leave his ship if there's a bus standing by."

A rumbling went off in the distance, making everyone look around.

"What the hell was that?" Christina asked. "Is this place safe? It's the creature. It's not dead."

"Maybe you didn't hit just one of them." The Doctor said. "If you hit a swarm..."

"Do you mean if there's more on board?"

"This ship's built inside a metal sleeve." Zara gulped. "They can move through the infrastructure, all around us." The creature thudded against the wall. "And they wake up hungry. Commander, you've got to come with us, right now!"

"You can come back to Earth, we'll find you a home!"

"And that's the word of a lady!" The Doctor exclaimed. "Come on!"

The Doctor, Zara and Christina turned to run out, one of the Tritovore following. The second turned to follow when one of the creatures dropped through the ceiling and ate it. They all stared in shock when the first Trivitore took out its gun, ready to shoot.

"No, don't!" Zara shouted.

The Trivitore rushed towards the creature, only to be eaten and The Doctor quickly grabbed Christina and Zara and pushed them ahead of him.

"There's nothing we can do." He called. "Run!"

...

The three of them ran across the desert when the mobile rang, The Doctor answering.

"Doctor, Zara..." Malcom began.

"Not now, Malcolm!" The Doctor shouted, hanging up and pocketing the phone as they reached the bus, Nathan and Barclay standing in the doorway.

"At last!" Nathan gasped. "Where've you been?!"

"Get inside, get them sitting down." Zara told him.

"Now then, let's have a look." The Doctor said, taking the crystal out of the clamps.

"So what does that crystal do?" Christina asked.

"Oh, nothing, don't need the crystal." Zara laughed as The Doctor threw it over his shoulder.

She gasped, "I risked my life for that!"

"No no, you risked your life for these." The Doctor muttered, unhooking 4 clamps from the main piece of metal. He handed Zara two and they both ran round the the bus, attaching the clamps to the wheels before getting back onto the bus.

"But what are the clamps for? Do they turn the wheels?"

The Doctor jumped into the driver's seat as Christina and Zara stood next to him, watching, "Something like that. I just need to fix this. Have you got a hammer in that bag?"

"Funnily enough." She reached into her bag and pulled out a hammer.

"Phone, phone..." Zara grabbed the phone and pressed redial, putting it to loudspeaker as he hooked the plate up to the steering wheel.

The dialing tone cut off and someone answered, "Malcolm, it's us!" Shesaid quickly.

"I'm ready!" Malcom cried.

"Ready for what?"

"I don't know! You tell me!"

"We'll try to get back. There might be something following us. You need to find a way to close the wormhole."

"Would that be a compressed burst of feedback on a counter-oscillation, perchance?"

"Oh, Malcolm! You're brilliant!" The Doctor grinned.

"Coming from you, sir, ma'am that means the world."

"Zara, what sort of something?" Erisa asked in the background. "That wormhole is now measuring ten miles and growing, I need to know the exact nature of the threat."

"Sorry, gotta go." Zara shrugged, hanging up in a panic.

The plate sparked suddenly, making The Doctor groan, "Ah, it's not compatible!" He said. "Bus, spaceship, spaceship, bus. I need to weld the two systems together."

"And how do you do that?" Christina asked.

Zara rubbed her head, thinking, "We need something non-corrosive, something malleable, something ductile, something..." She slowly looked at Christina. "Gold."

"Oh, no you don't."

"Christina, what is it worth now?" The Doctor asked.

Barclay rushed to the front of the bus, holding out his watch.

"Hey, hey, use this!" He offered.

"I said gold." The Doctor said.

"It is gold."

"Oh, they saw you coming. Christina!"

Barclay made his way back to his seat as Christina looked at her bag, then back at the passengers before taking out the cup, holding it.

"It's over 1,000 years old." She said nervously. "Worth £18 million. Promise me you'll be careful."

The Doctor took it from her gently. "I promise." He turned the cup upside turn and began to bang it with the hammer.

She glared at him, "I hate you."

He squashed it into the plate, grinning.

"This is your driver speaking! Hold on tight!" He called back.

"What for?" Barclay asked. "What's he doing?"

"Do as he says!" Christina called back before turning back to The Doctor. "What are you doing?"

The Doctor began to turn on the engine. "Come on, that's it... You can do it, you beauty! One last trip!" The bus powered up and rattled. It then began to rise from the sand and the passengers in the back gasped, Zara clutching onto The Doctor's arm.

Barclay moved over, looking out the window. "Ah, you are so kidding me!"

"We're flying! It's flying!" Nathan gasped.

"He's flying the bus!" Lou exclaimed.

"It's a miracle!" Angela grinned.

"Anti-gravity clamps." Zara said to Christina, laughing. "Didn't I say? Round we go."

The Doctor span the wheel, turning the bus round so they were facing away from the swarm and aimed at the wormhole.

"Doctor! They're coming!" Carmen shouted.

"Do you think this thing will survive the journey back?" Christina asked.

"Only one way to find out!" The Doctor began. "Next stop..."

"Planet Earth!" Christina cheered as The Doctor pressed down on the pedal, driving straight towards the wormhole.

...

Through a flash of light, the bus flew through the wormhole and back into London, flying over UNIT who were assembled by the tunnel.

"It's London!" Barclay cheered.

"We're back home!" Angela gasped.

"He did it!" Nathan cried. "He did it!"

Zara dialled on the phone again, holding it to her ear as she looked out across London, "Malcolm!" She called. "Close that wormhole!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Malcom gasped. "My pleasure, ma'am!" He hung up.

Zara stared at the phone, stunned, "He's hung up on me!" She laughed, ringing back again. "Malcolm?"

"Not now, I'm busy." He shouted, hanging up again.

"He's hung up again!" She rang again. "Malcolm! Listen to me!"

"It's not working!"

"We need that signal. We've got billions of those things about to fly through!"

"Well, what do I do?"

"Loop it back through the integrator, and keep the signal ramping up."

"But by how much?"

She looked at The Doctor in confusion, "500 Bernards!" She spluttered. "Do it now!"

"Yes!" He suddenly cried as Zara watched UNIT shoot at the two creatures that had already flown through.

"Zara, Doctor," Nathan shouted. The two of them looked round to see one of the creatures flying towards them. "It's coming for us!" The creature headed towards the open window before swerving away.

"Oh, no, you don't!" The Doctor snapped, swerving the bus round and batting the creature away with the bus.

"You know something?" Zara laughed as the creature was shot down. "I love you." She grabbed The Doctor by his lapels and gave him a long kiss, the two of them laughing.

Everyone began to clap and cheer as Zara pulled away and grinned at The Doctor.

"Do not stand forward of this point." The Doctor called back to the passengers. "Ladies and gentlemen, you have reached your final destination. Welcome home, the mighty 200."

Zara rang the bell wildly as the bus touched down safely and everyone applauded.

The Doctor opened the bus door with the sonic as everyone gathered their belongings and put on their jackets and stepped off.

A soldier greeted them as they stepped off, "Welcome back." He said. "If you could step away from the bus to be safe. As fast as you can. It's standard procedure. We need to screen you, and then you'll all be taken to debriefing."

Zara reached into The Doctor's pocket and took out the psychic paper, flashing it to the soldier, "We don't count." She said quietly, taking Zara's hand.

Christina went to follow them, "No, but Zara, Doctor..."

The soldier took her arm, "With me, ma'am."

The Doctor and Zara headed towards a black woman in UNIT uniform, Erisa, when a short man in a white jacket and a pair of glasses, Malcom, rushed towards them.

"Zara, Doctor!" Malcom shouted.

"You must be Malcolm!" The Doctor laughed as Zara grinned.

Malcom pulled the two of them in a large hug, "Oh! Oh, I love you." He pulled back. "I love you, I love you."

Erisa eyed him, "To your station, Doctor Taylor."

"Yes, ma'am." He turned and headed back to where he'd come from before turning back to The Doctor and Zara. "I love you!" The Doctor pointed back with a smile as he turned back and disappeared.

"Zara, Doctor," Erisa said, saluting the both of them. "I salute you, whether you like it or not. Now, I take it we're safe from those things?"

Zara nodded, "They'll start again. Generate a new doorway. It's not their fault, it's their natural life cycle. But I'll see if we can nudge the wormholes on to uninhabited planets."

"Closer to home, Captain," The Doctor added, "Those two lads," He looked back at Barclay and Nathan. "Very good in a crisis. Nathan needs a job, Barclay's good with engines. You could do a lot worse. Privates Nathan and Barclay, UNIT's finest."

Erisa nodded, "I'll see what I can do." She smiled at them. "And I've got something for you two." She pointed behind her where a soldier pulled down a sheet to reveal to The TARDIS.

Zara squealed in delight, rushing over to it and The Doctor laughed, following her.

"Better than a bus, any day!" The Doctor said happily. "Hello!"

"Found in the gardens of Buckingham Palace." Erisa said.

"Oh, she doesn't mind." Zara grinned.

"Now, I've got three dead alien stingrays to clear up. I don't suppose you fancy helping with the paperwork?"

The Doctor laughed, "Not a chance!"

She smiled, "Till we meet again, Zara, Doctor."

Zara nodded, "I hope so."

They both shook hands with her and she turned and left.

Christina rushed up to them, grinning at The TARDIS, "Little blue box! Just like you said! Right then, off we go! Come on, Doctor, Zara, show me the stars!"

The Doctor shook his head, "No." He said, much to Zara's surprise.

Christina stared, stunned, "What?"

"I said no."

"But I saved your lives. And you saved mine."

"So?"

"We're surrounded by police. I'll go to prison."

"Yeah."

"But you were right, it's not about the money." She begged. "I only steal things for the adventure, and today, with you... I want more days like this. I want every day to be like this. We're made for each other, you said so yourself. The perfect team. Why not?"

"People have travelled with us and we've lost them. Lost them all. Never again." He put his arm around Zara's waist. "Now all that matters is making this woman become my wife."

Suddenly, a group of officers and a Detective approached them.

"Lady Christina de Souza!" The Detective cheered. !Oh, I have waited a long time to say this. I am arresting you on suspicion of theft." One of the officers handcuffed her, putting her hands behind her back. "You do not have to say anything, etcetera, etcetera. Dennison, take her away."

The Doctor and Zara stared as she was led away when Carmen and Lou approached them.

"Zara, Doctor?" Carmen called softly. "You take care, now."

The Doctor smiled, "You too! Chops and gravy, lovely!"

"No, but you be careful." She said, concerned. "Because your song is ending, sir."

The Doctor's smile fell, "What do you mean?" Zara asked.

"It is returning. It is returning through the dark. Oh, and Zara... Kill him once, kill him twice. Please. And then, Doctor, Zara..." She stared sadly. "Oh, but then... He will knock four times."

Carmen and Lou turn and leave as The Doctor and Zara stared ahead for a few moments before looking to see Christina being led to the police car. Zara reached into The Doctor's pocket, taking out the sonic and using it on her handcuffs. Christina looked back at them with a smirk, getting into the car before scooting over and getting out the other side, running for the bus, the police officers shouting and chasing after her.

Christina got into the bus, sitting in the drivers seat and closing the door, the officers standing outside and The Doctor and Zara walking towards it.

"Open the door!" The Detective shouted. "I'll add resisting arrest!"

"I'd step back, if I were you." The Doctor remarked.

"I'm charging you too!" The Detective shouted at the two of them. "Aiding and abetting!"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes, we'll just step inside this police box and arrest ourselves." They turned and headed back to The TARDIS.

Christina waved and started the bus, the officers watching helplessly as it floated off the ground.

"No!" The Detective shouted. "Come back!"

Everyone watched and laughed as Christina began to fly away.

The Doctor and Zara stopped by the TARDIS door and looked up as Christina stopped the bus above them and opened the door.

"We could've been so good together." She called down to them.

"Christina." The Doctor called up as Zara smiled. "We were."

Everyone began to cheer as Christina shut the door and flew off, The Doctor and Zara stepping into the TARDIS. With a smile, Zara walked up to the console and pulled the scanner round, resting her hands on it.

"They're around somewhere." She nodded, content, looking at The Doctor with a small smile. "We'll find them, it'll just take time."

The Doctor rested against the door, putting one foot up and smiling at her proudly as she winked at him, pulling a lever.


	3. The Wedding of Sarah Jane Smith

The Doctor sat in the library in a big red arm chair in front of the roaring fire. He smiled to himself, content, and snuggled up. He'd left Zara a few hours ago to go to sleep seeing as she was still part human and had to sleep regularly unlike him. His eyes began to slowly droop when he was suddenly shook awake.

"Theta!" Zara shouted at him.

He suddenly jolted and sat up, looking at Zara, wearing just her underwear, making his eyes widen.

She raised the back of her hand, showing him her ring that was glowing softly, "Something's happening. I think it's Sarah Jane."

"Um, ah, bah, ah, um." He stammered.

She rolled her eyes, "Get a grip Theta!" She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room.

...

On Planet Earth, England, Ealing, Sarah Jane Smith stood in the front of a chapel in a white wedding dress beside her fiancé, Peter Dalton, in front of the woman officiant. Amongst the guests in the front rows were Luke, Rani and Clyde.

"Now I have to ask this question." The officiant began. "If any person can show just cause or impediment why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace."

Suddenly, one of the doors at the back burst open and The Doctor and Zara, dressed in a thick strapped, short, light pink dress, making everyone look round.

"Stop this wedding now!" The Doctor shouted.

Sarah Jane stared at them, stunned, "What?"

Rani frowned, "What's going on?"

"Who the hell is that?" Peter exclaimed.

"I don't believe it." Luke gaped.

"Who's he?" Rani asked.

K9 rolled out from under a table, "Master, Mistress!"

"We said stop this wedding!" Zara snapped.

Suddenly, wind began to pick up through out the chapel.

"Alert!" K9 cried. "Alert, danger Mistress!"

"Sarah!" The Doctor called. "Get away from him!"

"No…" She made her way towards the two of them when Peter grabbed her arm, making her look back at him. "Please let me go."

"Don't be afraid Sarah Jane." Peter said calmly. "It's the angel."

Suddenly, a figure floated into view. It was very tall, wearing a white robe with a hood, pale skin, no eyes and sharp teeth - The Trickster.

"The trickster!" Rani gasped.

"Mum!" Luke shouted in panic. "Mum!"

"Sarah Jane!" Zara shouted. "Trickster let her go!"

"Too late Time Lords!" The Trickster taunted, moving towards Sarah Jane and Peter. "You're mine Sarah Jane Smith, mine forever!"

"Sarah!" The Doctor called, reaching his hand out to her, clutching Zara's hand.

"Zara! Doctor!" Sarah Jane screamed, reaching out to them.

Suddenly, The Trickster, Sarah Jane and Peter disappeared.

"Sarah!" The wind died down and the two of them ran down to the altar. "Sarah! No!"

The room began to shake and energy waves surrounded everyone apart from The Doctor, Zara, Rani, Clyde, Luke and K9 and they all faded away.

"Mum! Dad!" Rani gasped as her parents disappeared along with everyone else.

"Hold on!" Zara shouted as she and The Doctor ducked by the altar. "Everyone hold on!"

A bright light filled the room.

...

Luke lay on the floor, unconscious in the chapel, The Doctor and Zara crouched either side of him.

"Luke." The Doctor called softly. "Luke Smith."

Luke's eyes flickered open, "Zara? Doctor?" He mumbled.

"That's me." The Doctor smiled. "Good to meet you in the flesh."

"Nice to you see you again sweetheart." Zara smiled, helping him sit up.

"What happened?" Luke asked, his eyes widening. "Mum, The Trickster!"

"Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke, Luke listen to me, everything's going to be alright," The Doctor reassured him as Zara squeezed his hand. "We can find Sarah, we can bring her back, we promise. But we need you to be strong for us." Behind them, Rani and Clyde began to wake up. "Just like you were before. I know you can do it."

Clyde sat up at stared at them, "Who are you?"

"Hello!" The Doctor grinned, rushing over to them as Zara pulled Luke to his feet. "Clyde!" He pulled him to his feet and moved over to Rani. "And that will be Rani." He helped her up before kneeling down

"What?" Clyde frowned, looking between Zara and The Doctor. "How did you know my name?"

"Wait a minute they were…" Her eyes widened. "It's you two isn't it?"

"It's us two." The Doctor muttered, moving over to the fireplace, listening to the floor.

"Zara Saxon and The Doctor!"

"That's them." Luke breathed.

"I hope you two are as good as Sarah Jane says you are."

"Well…you know journalists, always exaggerating." The Doctor smirked, getting up. "But yeah, we're pretty amazing on a good day."

"Mistress, Master, inquiry," K9 said, rolling over to them. "Where is Mistress Sarah Jane?"

"K9!" The Doctor beamed, kneeling down and petting him. "Did you miss me? Did you miss me?"

"Repeat. Whereabouts of Sarah Jane? Where is she?"

Clyde moved over to the window, staring out at the empty whiteness, "Where are we?" Rani and Luke walked over beside him.

"Interdimensional shift." The Doctor sighed, him and Zara walking up behind them. "Time's moved on. But us, and this entire building, we've been left behind."

"There's nothing out there!" Rani frowned as The Doctor and Zara moved to a back window.

"I said all along, I knew there was something wrong about all of this." Clyde said, determined. "And what exactly is going on?"

The Doctor peered out of the window, "I'll explain later." He muttered, making the three teenagers start talking over each other in panic. He rolled his eyes and Zara eyed him as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wooden noise maker toy, spinning it. "Shh!" The three of them suddenly quieted. "Here's the answer to all your questions. Yes, that was the Trickster. Yes, we're trapped. Yes Zara and I are the only one who can get us out of the trap. Yes, we're gonna bring Sarah Jane," He looked to Rani. "And your mum and dad, and all the others back safe. But I can't do any of it without you."

Clyde raised an eyebrow at them, "You need us?"

Zara nodded with a smile, "Just like Sarah Jane needs you."

"But my mum and dad, where are they?" Rani asked.

"Just go on with them Rani." Luke reassured her. "I saw them save the world."

The Doctor slapped his cheeks, "You helped us save the world Luke-y boy! Right!" Him and Zara turned and rushed back towards the door. "Come on, we can use the TARDIS!" They stopped and looked back. "I assume everyone knows what the TARDIS is? Unless you've really not been paying attention…and!" He took Zara's hand and they ran. "Allons-y!"

...

The five of them ran back into the lobby and The Doctor and Zara stopped suddenly, staring in front of them.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, it was there!" The Doctor exclaimed he and Zara stared at where The TARDIS had been, stunned. "It was right there!" The two of them shared a look and pushed the teenagers back as The TARDIS' materialisation sound echoed into the room, struggling. "Wait, wait, wait, wait."

"That noise, I've heard it before." Rani frowned.

"That was us, trying to break through." Zara explained. "But knocked back by the Trickster."

The TARDIS began to appear barely, right in front of them. "Temporal schism is preventing TARDIS materialization." K9 informed them.

"Wait a minute, that's the TARDIS?" Clyde asked. "It's just a wooden box!"

"Come on! You can do it, more power, come on!" The Doctor encouraged The TARDIS before it disappeared again. "Ok, well, no TARDIS." He sighed, turning round and looking at them. "It can't materialize here till time moves forward."

"What so we're trapped here?" Rani asked. "Wherever this is?"

"No, 'cos what have I got?" The Doctor grinned. "I've got K9!"

"Affirmative." K9 replied.

"I've got my beautiful fiancee." He put his arm round Zara. "And I've got you three and any friend of Sarah Jane Smith is a friend of mine."

"But where is this?" Clyde asked. "What's happened to the rest of the world?"

"Our present location, nowhere, no when." K9 said.

"No when?" Luke frowned.

"Look at the clocks." Zara said quietly. The three teenagers looked round at the clock ticking on the wall, flicking between a second.

"Time has stopped."

"What?" Clyde asked, looking at his watch. "You're joking."

"No, time hasn't stopped." Luke said as they glanced over at the TV showing a horse jumping a fence, the same second repeating over and over again. "This second's on a loop. 23 seconds and 23 minutes past 3 o'clock."

"And we're caught inside it, in this one second." The Doctor sighed.

"But, again, where is Sarah Jane?" Clyde asked.

"I think she's right here." The Doctor whispered.

...

"So we've been kept behind in this second." Rani frowned, watching the clocks.

"Affirmative Mistress Rani." K9 replied.

"But the rest of the world, mum and dad, and everyone else, they've moved on from here, going forwards in time. Why has the Trickster trapped us here?"

Zara smiled lovingly, watching The Doctor pop up from the floor, "Oh come on Rani. You know the answer to that."

Rani widened her eyes in realization, "We're Sarah Jane's friends, all of us, her best friends!"

The Doctor took his jacket off and threw it to Luke, walking up the staircase, "Yeah, which means?"

"Hostages! He can use us to get at her!"

"We've met the Trickster before but we've never actually found out who he is." Clyde frowned.

"The Trickster is a creature from beyond the Universe, forever trying to break into our reality, manifest himself." Zara explained as The Doctor walked back over. "He's one of the pantheon of discords."

"That's a good name for a band."

"Actually, not bad!" The Doctor nodded, impressed. "He's an eternal exile who exists to wreak havoc. But we can fight him. The five of us, and we can win!" Suddenly the sonic beeped and he pulled them out. "Oh!" He flashed the sonic round the room. "Ha! That's it! Time trace! Just a hint of Sarah Jane. Oh, she's close." He bolted over to the sofa and stood on it, listening to the sonic intently.

Rani suddenly, "What was that?" She asked. "Felt like someone just walked over my grave."

The sonic suddenly whirred into life, "Oh! Oh! She's here! She's here! Sarah!" He shouted, jumping down from the sofa.

"Sarah Jane." Rani corrected. "She doesn't like being called Sarah."

The Doctor looked at Rani, eyeing her carefully. "She does by me." He edged towards the doors as the sonic hummed at them. "K9!"

"Scanning Master!" K9 replied.

"Doctor, Zara!" An echo of Sarah Jane's voice suddenly called from above them.

"Mum!" Luke shouted, looking around.

"That was her!" Clyde exclaimed.

"K9! Isolate the time trace." Zara ordered.

"Affirmative Mistress." K9 replied. "Temporal schism divided in two Mistress."

"Yes of course." The Doctor sighed. "We're trapped here in 3.23.23 and Sarah Jane's trapped too, just in another second."

"Hold on, you said you'd explain later, well, it's later." Clyde said, making The Doctor look round at him. "Please explain."

"The Trickster doesn't want us helping Sarah, so he's separated us. Trapped us in two different seconds."

"Doctor, Zara!" An echo of Sarah Jane's voice came from upstairs.

The Doctor looked up slowly, "Oh, she's upstairs…come on! Luke, K9, watch for the TARDIS, you see it coming back shout the place down."

"Orders accepted Master." K9 said.

"You two with us!" Zara called, running up the stairs with The Doctor, Rani and Clyde following. "Spit spot."

...

The four of them ran in, finding themselves in the chapel.

"How did we end up here again?" Rani asked.

"It's a spatial loop mixed up with a temporal loop." Clyde replied.

She eyed him, "How did you work that one out?"

"Well, we've been doing this for a while now, I have taken notes."

The Doctor moved around the room, scanning, "Come on, come on, come on Sarah, let me find you…" Zara moved up behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Rani shook her head, "Hang on though, this is mad. The Trickster, he's this all powerful immortal who wants to cause chaos throughout the stars…" She frowned. "And he wants Sarah Jane to get married? What does he get out of that?"

"She's here," The Doctor said, sonicing around. "If I can narrow the loop ratio…"

"Doctor, Zara!" The raspy voice of the Trickster called.

They all span round to see the Trickster in a black robe by the fireplace, The Doctor and Zara walking over calmly.

The Doctor nodded, impressed, "Oh, you look better in black," He looked to Zara. "Or is white the new black?"

"At last Doctor, Zara. I could feel this moment reverberating back through the ages, meeting the pantheon of discord, the last of the Time Lords."

"I've known the legends of the pantheon since I was a little boy."

Zara nodded in agreement, "The Face Of Boe had plenty to say on you." She remarked. "We've fought your shadows and your changelings. We never thought we'd actually meet."

"And I knew legends of the Doctor, the man of ice and fire, walked among gods, and the Master's murderer and child, the Zarantheon Paradox, who stood over the whole universe, once held the key to time in their hands. Now they're surrounded by children."

"They're our friends," The Doctor remarked. "Which reminds me, you're looking a bit lonely for a pantheon."

"I embody multitudes."

"Oh."

"But for you two, the man and woman who will lose everybody, to talk to me of loneliness, when the gate is waiting for you."

Zara frowned, "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Sarah Jane Smith is my prize. You knew Doctor. Didn't realize how wonderful she is."

"What do you want with her?" The Doctor asked.

"What I've always wanted for many of those I visit, they're agreement. Goodbye Doctor, Zara."

It suddenly disappeared as Zara gasped, jumping about.

"Agreement." She exclaimed loudly. "The power of words. She says I do…yes! That's it!"

"That's what?" Clyde asked.

"She promises to love and honor her husband, wedding ring goes on, then she's agreed to it and she's totally under the Trickster's power. Marital bliss but she forgets all about this. She starts living a new life."

"Forgetting about her old life, protecting the Earth!" Rani gasped.

"And the planet's wide open so that aliens can just barge in!" Clyde added.

"Without Sarah, without you lot, saving the world from your attic in Ealing, it'd be chaos and destruction." The Doctor agreed. "Food and drink to the Trickster."

"That's if she's gonna say yes."

"But she will won't she? Because we're here." Suddenly, the sound of The TARDIS began to fill the room and they all looked over to the sound. "The TARDIS!" He cheered as the TARDIS started to fade in. "Beautiful! Yes!"

"It's honing in on us!" Zara explained with a laugh. "The emergency program protecting the pilots! Of course! That's materialization!"

Luke bolted in, looking over in shock, "What's happening?"

The Doctor and Zara stood in front of the teenagers, keeping them back, "Look," Zara said, nodding at the blue crackling energy around the outside of The TARDIS. "That's pure artron energy. TARDIS power, equal enough to Trickster's power! That's how we can fight him!"

As The TARDIS appeared fully, The Doctor ran up to it and unlocked the door, getting inside with Zara as wind picked up through the room.

"Zara, Doctor!" Rani shouted.

The Doctor held his hand out to them whilst held Zara back from the window, "Come on, all of you get in!" He grabbed Clyde's hand. "Come on now!"

The wind grew more powerful, sending The Doctor and Zara falling to the floor and slamming the doors, The TARDIS materializing away.

The two of them stayed silent for a moment, catching their breath before grabbing the railings and pulling themselves up.

"You ok?" The Doctor asked breathlessly.

Zara nodded, looking at her ring, still glowing. She placed a kiss against it, "We're coming, Sarah Jane." She whispered, pulling off the ring and sharing a look with The Doctor before the two ran up to the console, pulling at controls desperatley as Zara inserted the ring into a slot on the console, the same slot that brought her back from the exploding Sontaran ship.

...

The Doctor and Zara flung open to The TARDIS, desperatley holding on in the wind to find Peter and Sarah Jane, The TARDIS unable to stabalize.

"Sarah!" The Doctor called.

"Oh, Doctor, Zara!" Sarah Jane gasped, rushing over to them.

"Got to be quick." Zara explained. "The TARDIS can't stabilize. Clyde's keeping the Trickster busy at the moment. Oh those three are just brilliant!"

"What can I do? If I say no, we're trapped here forever, if I say yes, I condemn the world to the Trickster. Either way I lose, there's no way out."

"It all rests with you Sarah." The Doctor said sadly. "Your greatest challenge. The hardest thing you'll ever face in your life."

"What is it? Tell me what I've got to do."

"You've fought the Trickster before, you know how he operates, how he can be defeated…" Zara looked at Peter sadly.

"No. No…" Sarah Jane gulped tearfully.

"I know you're a good man Peter." The Doctor said sadly. "I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, there was a scream and they all looked round to see Clyde appear, hands linked with The Trickster's, hands covered with Arton energy.

"Clyde!" Sarah Jane gasped.

"She can't hold it!" Zara shouted as The TARDIS wheezed and the doors slammed shut. Zara groaned in frustration, running up to the console. "She needs us, Theta!"

"I know!" He exclaimed, pulling at controls.

...

The TARDIS landed in the lobby and The Doctor and Zara ran out ot find Rani and Luke.

"Come on!" Zara shouted over her shoulder and they ran after her into the chapel to find Sarah Jane sitting at the end of the room, Clyde laying in her lap.

"Mum!" Luke gasped as they all gathered around her.

"Doctor, Zara!" Sarah Jane gasped tearfully.

"My Sarah Jane, you did it, the trap's broken, time's moving forwards again." The Doctor comforted her, putting one arm around Sarah Jane, the other around Zara. "We're going home!"

"Hold on!"

"We're all going home!"

A bright light filled the room as the time trap broke.

...

Sarah Jane stood at the altar, alone, everyone returned, when everyone noticed Peter gone.

"Where's the Doctor and Zara gone?" Luke asked Rani and Clyde.

"That all really happened." Rani said. "Didn't it?"

"Yeah." Clyde nodded.

"Affirmative." K9 added.

Luke got up and moved over to Sarah Jane, "Mum." He said softly.

Sarah Jane turned around, in tears, "I'm sorry everybody. I'm afraid the wedding is cancelled." Bravely she walked up the altar, alone.

...

Sarah Jane sat in the attic, no longer in her wedding dress, staring at Mr Smith sadly.

"Mr. Smith, I need you." Mum said quietly.

Mr Smith, calmly for once, opened up. "Welcome back, Sarah Jane." Mr Smith said as the door opened and Luke, Clyde and Rani walked in.

"Mum," Luke said, rushing up to her. "Are you all right?"

"I'm going to be fine." Sarah Jane said, hugging him quickly. "I've got you haven't I?"

"I can't believe the Doctor and Zara ran off like that."

"Sudden disappearing acts, that's _him_ all over." She sighed.

"Sarah Jane, escalation of Temporal Flux." Mr Smith announced.

"Temporal Flux escalating!" K9 said in agreement as The TARDIS materialized at the top of the steps.

"Doctor!" Sarah Jane gasped.

The door opened and The Doctor and Zara appeared in the doorway. "What do you take us for Sarah? Just thought we'd go the quick way…oh," He looked round the attic with a nod. "I like it in here."

"Can we have a look?" Rani asked, nodding at The TARDIS.

"What in the TARDIS? Our TARDIS?" The Doctor asked rudely, staring at them shocked. He smiled suddenly as Zara laughed, shaking her head. "Course you can, yeah." He moved out of the way and the teenagers and Sarah Jane walked in.

"Oh wow!" Clyde gasped as they all walked up to the console. "Sarah Jane wasn't lying. It really is, isn't it? It's bigger on the inside?"

"It's beautiful!" Rani said in awe.

"Transcendental dimensions." Luke nodded, impressed.

"Oh what does this do?" Clyde asked, pointing at something on the console.

"Hey, don't touch." Sarah Jane said, tapping Clyde's hand away and turning to The Doctor and Zara. "You came all that way, for me."

"You are so important. Not just to me." The Doctor replied, nodding back at Zara.

Zara smiled at her, taking her ring out of the slot and putting it back on her finger, wiggling it at her, "I told you after everything with the planets that if you needed us, I'd know."

Sarah Jane smiled, eyeing her identical ring that was now back on her finger.

"The Trickster wanted to end your story but it goes on." The Doctor continued. "The things you've done Sarah they're pretty impressive. But oh! The things you're gonna do…"

"The future…" Luke said. "How about we could go for a ride?"

"Or back to the dinosaurs yeah?" Clyde asked.

"Another planet?" Rani said in excitement.

"No way!" Sarah Jane exclaimed, jumping up and stepping in front of them, looking at them. "For one thing, you are grounded by the Judoon, and you're parents would never forgive me. Go on." She scolded them jokingly and they left The TARDIS.

"Is this the last time I'm ever going to see you?" Sarah Jane asked.

"I don't know." The Doctor replied. "I hope not."

Zara shrugged, "Still got a wedding yet." She smiled.

Sarah Jane smiled at them, "Bye Doctor, Zara. Until the next time."

"Don't forget us Sarah Jane." The Doctor called after her.

Sarah Jane smiled at them, "No one's ever going to forget you." And she turned and left.

Zara laughed quietly, turning and wrapping her arms around The Doctor's neck, "I love you Theta." She whispered, kissing him gently.


	4. The Waters of Mars

**_A/N - I am so so so so sorry! I am alive, still writing! On my gap year and off to do creative writing and television broadcasting media next year at university in London. I will try my best to work on this more now though! Thank you all for still reading though!_**

Zara sat in the console room in her usual attire, without the blue cardigan. She got up, walking around the console, pulling levers as she went. Underneath the console, lay The Doctor, tinkering underneath. Zara rolled her eyes at him, stepping over him as she went.

"Zara..." He called, from under the console.

"Mhmm?" She asked. "What?"

"Can you go get the spacesuits from the wardrobe?"

Zara frowned as The Doctor grabbed the console and pulled himself up, looking at her, "Why?" She asked.

He looked back at her with a grin, "We're going somewhere."

She raised an eyebrow at him, "Where?"

"Mars."

...

The TARDIS landed in the middle of the Mars surface, The Doctor and Zara stepping out in orange spacesuits.

"The Red Planet." The Doctor announced. He shared a smile with Zara before the two of them set off to explore.

...

The two of them stopped on a ledge, looking out across the surface to find a large dome with six corridors extending out, five smaller domes attached to five corridors and a rocket connected to the sixth, connected together as a base in the distance.

"Ohh, beautiful." The Doctor grinned before looking at Zara. "Not as beautiful as you."

Suddenly, a gun like device dug into the back of The Doctor's voice.

"Rotate, slowly." A robotic voice ordered. The Doctor and Zara shared a look before raising their arms, slowly turning around. "You are under arrest, for trespassing. Gadget-gadget." They looked down to see small robot holding a gun on them.

"Ah." Zara remarked, staring at it.

...

Inside the base, an older blonde woman who seemed to be the captain, raised a gun at them.

"State your name, rank, and intention." The woman ordered blankly.

"The Doctor." The Doctor began slowly. "Doctor. Fun."

The woman looked to Zara, "Zara Saxon." She added, trying to not laugh. "Psychopath. Fun."

One of the doors to the main section opened up and a man came through, "What the hell?!" He ran to the steps. "It's a man and a woman! A man and woman on Mars!" He joined them. "How?"

A young, blonde, German woman who stood by them, held up their spacesuits, "They were wearing these things. I have never seen anything like it."

"What did Mission Control say?"

"They're out of range for ten hours with the solar flares."

"If we could cut the chat, everyone." The older woman snapped.

"Actually, chat's second on our list," The Doctor said. "The first being gun, pointed at our heads. Which then puts our heads second and chat third, I think. Gun, head, chat, yeah." He rambled, Zara raising an eyebrow at him. "I hate lists." He stared at the gun. "But you could hurt someone with that, just... put it down."

"Oh, you'd like that."

Zara smirked slightly, "Can you find me someone who wouldn't?"

"Why should I trust you two?"

"Because we give you our word." The Doctor said. "And, 40 million miles away from home, our word is all you've got."

The older woman lowered her gun, "Keep Gadget covering him."

Next to the robot, a young man nodded, wearing gloves and an circuit type apron, controlling the robot.

"Gadget-gadget!" The robot - Gadget, said.

"Oh, right, so you control that thing?" Zara asked the young man. "Auto-glove response?"

"You got it." The young man nodded, demonstrating. "To the right..."

Gadget moved to the right, "Gadget-gadget!"

"And to the left."

Gadget moved to the left.

The Doctor eyed it, "It's a bit flimsy." He remarked, gaining a glare from the young man.

"Gadget-gadget!" Gadget announced.

"Does it have to keep saying that?"

"I think it's funny." The young man snapped.

"I hate funny robots."

Zara looked at The Doctor, amused, "What's K9 then?"

He looked back at her, "My dog." He fired back.

"Excuse me, boss." A woman's voice called over a radio in the older woman's other hand. "Computer log says we've got an two extra people on site. How's that possible?"

"Keep the Bio-dome closed." The older woman said into her radio. "And when using open comms you call me Captain."

"Yeah, but... who is it?" The older woman cut off the radio before she could finish.

An older man moved over to the older woman, eyeing them, "They can't be a World State flight, we'd know about it. Therefore, they've got to be one of the independents, yeah? Was it the Branson inheritance lot? They've talked about a Mars shot for years."

"Right, yes, OK, you got me." The Doctor nodded quickly. "So I'm the Doctor, she's Zara Saxon, and you are?!

"Oh, come on." The Older Woman scoffed. "We're the first off-world colonists in history. Everyone on Planet Earth knows who we are."

"You're the first?" He looked around as Zara stared at her. "Then... this is..."

"Bowie Base One." The three of them said in unison.

"Number one?" The Doctor said quickly. "Founded July 1st, 2058. Established Bowie Base One in the Gusev Crater... You've been here how long?"

"17 months."

"2059. It's 2059, right now." He looked at Zara, the two of them realising. "OHH! My head is so stupid, you're Captain Adelaide Brooke!" Her date of death, 2059.

"And Ed!" Zara added, looking at the older man. "You're Deputy Edward Gold." Died 2059.

"Tarak Ital, MD." The Doctor looked at the young man who'd ran in. Died 2059.

"Nurse Yuri Kerenski." Zara said to the young Russian man. Died 2059.

The Doctor looked at the young German woman, "Senior Technician Steffi Ehrlich." Then to the man controlling Gadget. "Junior Technician Roman Groom." Both died 2059.

Zara sighed, looking at a young asian woman, "Geologist Mia Bennett." Died 2059. "You're only 27 years old."

Adelaide eyed them, "As I said, Doctor, Zara, everyone knows our names."

"Oh, they'll never forget them." The Doctor gulped. "What's the date, today? What is it? Tell me the exact date."

"November 21st 2059."

Zara stared ahead, thinking back to an article in a book Boe had, "Bowie Base Destroyed, World in Mourning. Nuclear Blast Crater - November 21, 2059."

"Right. OK, fine." Zara nodded, shaking her head and looking at Adelaide.

"Is there something wrong?" Steffi asked.

Mia frowned, "What's so important about my age?"

The Doctor took Zara's hands, "We should... go. We... really should go."

Zara nodded in agreement, "We're sorry. We're sorry with all of our hearts, but it's one of those very rare times when we've got no choice."

"It's been an honour." He moved round and shook all their hands. "Seriously, a... very great honour to meet you all. The Martian pioneers. Oh, thank you. Ah!" He tapped Gadget.

"Gadget-gadget." Gadget replied.

He saluted Adelaide, "Thank you."

Zara stopped, looking round, "There's the other two." She said. "Hold on... Margaret Cain and Andrew Stone." Both died 2059.

Ed walked over to a computer, opening a comm, "Maggie... if you want to meet the only new human being that you're gonna see in the next five years, better come take a look."

Suddenly, a loud snarling came over the tannoy, making everyone straighten.

"What was that?" Mia asked nervously.

"Ohh, we really should go." Zara mumbled.

Ed frowned, "This is Central." He said into the comm. "Bio-dome report immediately."

Adelaide moved over next to him, "Show me the Bio-dome." She ordered.

He clicked a button, bringing up the cameras to only recieve static.

"Internal cameras are down."

"Show me the exterior."

Ed pulled up the camera feed to see the lights in the bio-dome go out.

"I'm going over." Adelaide continued, determined. "Doctor, Zara, with me."

Zara's eyes widened, "Yeah..." The Doctor began nervously. "I'm sorry, erm... I'd love to help, but I'm leaving, right now."

Adelaide looked over at Steffi, "Take their spacesuits, lock it up." Steffi took their suits as Adelaide looked back at The Doctor and Zara, "This started as soon as you two arrived, so you're not going anywhere, except with me."

...

The Doctor, Zara, Adelaide and Tarak, followed by Gadget, walked along a dark corridor holding torches with small lights on the wall, showing the way.

"What's so important about Mia's age?" Adelaide asked Zara, eyeing her. "You said she's only 27, why does it matter, what did you mean?"

"Oh, we just..." The Doctor explained, gesturing between him and Zara. "Open our mouths and words come out. They don't make much sense."

"You're telling me." Tarak remarked.

"Thank you, doctor."

"Any time, Doctor."

"Gadget-gadget!" Gadget cried.

"I hate robots." The Doctor said distastefully. "Did I say?"

"K-9!" Zara said in a sing song voice, amused, making The Doctor glare at her.

"Yeah, and he's not too fond of you." Roman's voice called from Gadget, sitting back in the main part of the dome. "What's wrong with robots?"

"It's not the robots, it's the people. Dressing them up and giving them silly voices, like you're reducing them."

"Yeah. Friend of mine, she made her domestic robot look like a dog."

"Ah, well, dogs, that's different." The Doctor nodded as Zara raised an eyebrow at her.

"But I adapted Gadget out of the worker drones." Roman continued. "Those things are huge! They built this place when the shell was lowered down from orbit. They've got a strength capacity of..."

"The channel is open for essential communications only." Adelaide interrupted.

"Sorry. Love those drones."

Zara eyed Adelaide carefully, "I've read all that stuff about you, Captain Adelaide." She said. "My adoptive father had a book on all of this. But one thing they never said, was it worth it? The mission?"

Adelaide shrugged, "We've got excellent results from the soil analysis."

"I know… But all of it. Cos they say you sacrificed everything, devoted your whole life to get here."

"It's been chaos back home." She sighed. "40 long years, the climate, the ozone, the oil apocalypse. We almost reached extinction. And to fly above that, to stand on a world with no smoke, where the only straight line is the sunlight, yes." She smiled. "It's worth it."

"Ahh! That's the Adelaide Brooke I always wanted to meet." The Doctor cheered. "The woman with starlight in her soul."

Suddenly both Adelaide and Zara stopped in their tracks, noticing something in the distance.

"Theta..." Zara whispered warningly.

Adelaide frowned, "What's that?" They all ran forward to find a body of a black woman with dreadlocks laying on the floor, Adelaide and Tarak kneeling beside her. "It's Maggie."

"Don't touch her!" The Doctor ordered.

"I know the procedure." Tarak reassured them, turning to Maggie. "Maggie, can you hear me? It's Tarak. Maggie?" He rolled her over. "It's OK. She's still breathing. She's alive."

The Doctor shared a look with Zara before the both of them looked down towards the bio-dome.

Tarak took out his radio, "Yuri, I've got Margaret Cain, head trauma. I need a full medpack."

"I've got it." Yuri's voice replied. "Medpack on its way."

"We really need to go." Zara mumbled to The Doctor. "This is a fixed point in time."

"So?" He asked. "The base hasn't exploded yet."

"Yet." She stressed. "Remember last time we were at a fixed point? We erupted Vesivivus."

He opened his mouth to reply when Ed and Yuri came running down the corridor.

"Don't touch her, use the gloves." The Doctor ordered, gently pulling Zara back.

"Do what he says." Tarak agreed. "Get her to sickbay. Put her in isolation."

"We're going to the Bio-dome." Adelaide said. "Tarak, with me, Yuri can take care of her. Ed, go back. Gadget, stand guard. Keep an eye on this area."

"Gadget-gadget!" Gadget said.

"Captain, you're gonna need me." Ed said. "Andy's the only other crew member out here, and if that wasn't an accident, then he's gone wild."

"You've deserted your post." Adelaide said blankly. "Consider that an official warning. Now, get back to work. Doctor, Zara!" She turned and headed off.

Zara took The Doctor's hand, the two of them looking at the others, before following after Adelaide and Tarak.

...

Thefour of them walked towards the biodome when Steffi's voice came over the radio.

"Captain." Steffi's voice called. "That sound we heard from the Bio-dome, I've run it through diagnostics. According to the computer, it's...it's Andy. It registers as the voice-print of Andy Stone."

"Understood." Adelaide replied into her radio. "Double-check, thanks."

Tarak approached the airlock door, "Air pressure stabilised." He muttered, pressing a button, the four of them cautiously stepping into the dome to reveal a large, beautiful indoor garden.

"Andrew?" Adelaide called into the dome. "Andrew Stone? It's Captain Brooke. Andy, report. I need to see you. Where are you?"

The Doctor and Zara moved over to the computer and checked it, using the sonic, making the lights come back on.

"There you go." The Doctor said.

Adelaide frowned at the screwdriver, "What's that device?"

"Screwdriver."

"Are you the Doctor or the Janitor?"

Zara smirked, "Sounds like him." She smiled at him. "The maintenance man of the universe."

"You two, stay with me, don't step out of my sight." Adelaide said to Zara and The Doctor. "Tarak, go to External Door South, make sure it's intact."

"Yes, ma'am." Tarak nodded.

Zara looked at the plants in awe, "Quite an achievement. First flower on Mars in 10,000 years." She nodded, impressed. "And you're growing veg!"

"It's that lot, they're already planning Christmas dinner." Adelaide shrugged. "Last year it was dehydrated protein, this year they want the real thing."

The Doctor nodded, "Still, fair enough. Christmas."

"If we must."

Birds chirped above them, making The Doctor look up and smile, "You've got birds!"

"It's part of the project, to keep the insect population down."

"Good sign."

"In what way?"

"Well, they're still alive."

"Captain?" Yuri's voice called over the radio. "Good news. It's Maggie. She's awake, she's back with us. Hey. How are you, soldier? Just take it easy. Can you remember what happened?"

"I was just working." The voice of Maggie called softly in the background. "Then I woke... woke up here."

"What about Andy?" Adelaide asked. "We can't find him. Was he all right?"

"I don't know, I just..." Maggie sighed.

"If you remember anything, let me know straightaway."

"Yuri, does she know how she ended up in the tunnel?" Ed's voice called through.

"And keep the comms clear." Adelaide snapped. "Everything goes through me, got that?"

The Docor and Zara shared a nervous look before they all carried on through the biodome.

...

Halfway through the biodome, Yuri's voice came through the comm.

"This is sickbay, we have a situation." Yuri called, panicked. "Maggie's condition has... I don't know…I don't know what it is. It's water, just... pouring out."

Adelaide pulled out her radio, "Yuri, calm down." She said. "Just tell me what's happened to her."

"The skin is... sort of broken around the mouth." He replied with a gulp. "And she's exuding water, like she's drowning."

"Tarak, this area's unsafe, we're going back." She said into the radio, only to recieve no answer. "Tarak? Tarak!"

"Where was he?" Zara asked before Adelaide led them off, the three of them racing across the biodome.

...

The three of them ran into the area Tarak had been searching, Zara and Adelaide grining to a halt, staring in shock, as The Doctor kept going. Zara reached out and pulled him back as they looked at Tarak on his knees, convulsing and another man, Andy, his face cracked, water pouring from his mouth, had his hand on Tarak's head, water pouring furiously down it. The three of them slowly walked towards him.

"Andy, just leave him alone." The Doctor said warningly.

Adelaide raised her gun, "Step away from him." She ordered, the two of their voices overlapping, Zara staring nervously.

"We can help. We promise, We can help. Just leave that man alone.!

"I order you to stop!"

"Andy, I'm asking you, please just take your hand away from him and listen to me."

"Stop, or I'll shoot!"

Andy suddenly looked at them and removed his hand, Tarak collapsing to the ground.

"There now, that's better." The Doctor sighed. "Hmm? So, you must be Andy." He moved slowly towards him, Zara gritting her teeth slightly. "Hello."

Tarak looked at them, his face cracked, water pouring from his mouth like Andy and how Maggie was described to them.

"We've got to go." Zara whispered to Adelaide.

The three of them turned and bolted back to the airlock, chased by Andy and Tarak. The Doctor pushed Zara into the airlock, followed by Adelaide before closing the door behind them.

"Set the seals at maximum!" The Doctor ordered.

Andy suddenly raised his arm and shot water at the door. The Doctor and Zara jumped back, startled, as Andy lowered his arm and moved over to the door. He peered through the window at them before pounding on the door.

"Yuri." Steffi's voice called through the comms. "What IS she? Captain, we need you back here."

"Just tell me that Maggie is contained." Adelaide said into the radio. "Can you confirm, Ed?"

"Confirmed." Ed replied. "She's locked in."

"Keep surveillance till I get back. And close down all water supplies. All pipes and outlets, don't consume anything. Have you got that, everyone? That's an order. Don't drink the water. Don't even touch it. Not one drop."

The Doctor looked at Andy, "Can you talk?"

"Human beings are 60% water, which makes them the perfect host." Zara explained quietly.

"What for?" Adelaide asked.

"We don't know." Zara said sternly, grabbing The Doctor's arm. "We never will...because we've got to go. Whatever's started here, we can't see it to the end. We can't."

Andy and Tarak both slammed their hands against the door, opening their mouths and shooting water at the door's seals.

"This thing's airtight, yeah?" The Doctor asked.

Adelaide nodded, "And therefore watertight."

"Depends how clever the water is." Zara muttered before the control panel began to spark.

Adelaide's eyes widened, "They're fusing the system."

"Abandon ship!" The Doctor shouted.

Adelaide opened the door into the corridor as The Doctor grabbed Zara's hand, the three of them running down the corridor, Andy and Tarak chasing after them when The Doctor suddenly stopped as they reached Gadget.

"Doctor, we haven't got time!" Adelaide said, breathless.

"They can run faster than us, we need a lift!" The Doctor said, using the sonic on the robot.

"Gadget-gadget." Gadget said as The Doctor fiddled with some wires.

"Get on behind me!"

Zara linked arms with him and stood next to him on the small step on the back of gadget.

"That thing goes at two miles an hour!" Adelaide exclaimed.

"Not any more! Trust me."

Adelaide climbed up behind him and wrapped her arms round him.

"Gadget-gadget!" Gadget said.

"Gadget-gadget!" The Doctor mimicked, sonicing Gadget and making it start up, flames shooting out from the exhaust, sending them speeding down the hallway, Tarak and Andy following before eventually stopping by the door.

The Doctor and Zara pulled open the door as Adelaide handled the control panel.

"The Central Dome airlocks have got Hardinger seals." Adelaide said, stepping through the door. "There's no way they can get in."

"Come on, come on!" The Doctor called to Gadget, beckoning him in.

"Gadget-gadget." Gadget said, rolling towards them.

"I thought you hated robots!" Adelaide frowned.

"I do!"

Gadget trundled inside and The Doctor slammed the door closed just as Andy and Tarak reached them.

"We're safe." Adelaide said breathlessly. "It's hermetically sealed. They can't get in."

"Water is patient, Adelaide." Zara breathed. "Water just waits. It wears down the clifftops, the mountains, the whole of the world. Water always wins."

The Doctor gently took her hand, "Come on!" They said and they turned and headed for the other door.

"Bio-dome Tunnel is out of bounds." Adelaide said into the radio. "Andy and Tarak are infected, repeat, infected. Make no contact. And if they make any move, tell me. I'm going to the Medical Dome."

...

Adelaide strode along the tunnel to the medical dome, The Doctor and Zara keeping up with her.

"Blimey, it's a distance." The Doctor remarked. "You could do with bikes in this place."

"Every pound in weight equals three tons of fuel." Adelaide replied.

"Yeah, I know, but bikes…"

...

The three of them walked into the sickbay to see Ed and Yuri watch Maggie stand at the window, water pouring out of her mouth.

Adelaide nodded at the door that led to behind the window, "Has that door got a Hardinger seal?"

Ed shook his head, "No, just basic."

"Then the moment she heads for the door, we evacuate. Got that?"

He nodded, "Pulse is low. Electrical activity in the brain seems to be going haywire."

"Can she talk?"

"Don't know." Yuri shrugged. "She was before we noticed the change, but..."

Adelaide slowly approached Maggie, "Maggie? Can you hear me?" She asked sternly. "Do you know who I am? Your commanding officer, Captain Adelaide Brooke. Can you tell me what happened?"

Maggie turned her head and looked at The Doctor and Zara.

"Hoorghwall in schtochman ahn warrellinsh och fortabellan iin hoorgwahn." Zara said to Maggie, staring her down as The Doctor stood behind her, a hand on her shoulder. Maggie stared back, recognising it.

"What language is that?" Ed asked, stunned.

"Ancient North Martian."

"Don't be ridiculous." Adelaide scoffed.

"It's like she recognised it." Ed frowned.

"And her eyes are different." The Doctor muttered. "They're clear, like she's closer to human."

"Not close enough for me."

The Doctor looked at him, "Where do you get your water from?"

"The ice field." Adelaide said. "That's why we chose the crater, we're on top of an underground glacier."

"Tons of water." Zara muttered sarcastically. "Marvellous."

"But every single drop is filtered." Yuri said. "It's screened, it's safe."

"Looks like it, yeah." The Doctor said, nodding at Maggie.

Ed frowned, "If something was frozen down there, a viral life form, held in the ice for all those years..."

"Look at her mouth." Zara said, pointing at Maggie's mouth. "All blackened, like there's some sort of fission. This thing, whatever it is, doesn't just hide in water, it CREATES water." She narrowed her eyes at Maggie. "Tell me what you want."

"She was looking at the screen, at Earth." Yuri told them. "She wanted Earth. A world full of water."

"Captain, with me." Ed said, moving over to the other side of them room, Adelaide following. "I'm sorry, but it's an unknown infection and it's spreading. That demands Action Procedure One."

"You think I don't know that?" Adelaide snapped.

"I think you need reminding."

She sighed, "Yeah."

"Well, at least I'm good for something. "

"Now and again."

"That's almost a compliment. Things must be serious."

"Sorry, sorry, but..." The Doctor interrupted, the two looking over to see The Doctor and Zara watching them. "Action One, that means evacuation, yeah?"

"We're going home." Adelaide nodded, raising the radio to her mouth. "This is Captain Brooke. I'm declaring Action One, repeat to all crewmembers, this is Action One, with immediate effect. Evacuate the base."

Alarms began to blare as Zara looked at Adelaide nervously.

"Steffi, what's your estimate on shuttle viability?"

"It's a nine-month flight, it'll take three hours to load what we need." Steffi's voice called through the radio.

"You've got 20 minutes. And give me a report on Andy and Tarak."

"Still in the Bio-dome Tunnel. They're just standing there, like they're waiting."

"Keep an eye on them. And make that 20 minutes 15!" She turned to Ed. "Ed, line up the shuttle, go straight to ignition status."

Ed nodded, "Doing it now." He said, rushing off.

"But what about Maggie?" Yuri asked as Adelaide began to pack supplies.

"She stays behind." She called over her shoulder. "We've got no way to contain her on board. Close this place down. I want the power directed to the shuttle."

Zara watched her sadly, walking over to her, "Of course, the only problem is..."

"Thank you, Doctor, Zara, your spacesuits will be returned. And good luck to you." She said sharply.

"The problem is, this thing is clever." The Doctor said, also walking over. "It didn't infect the birds or the insects in the Bio-dome, it chose the humans. You were chosen. And I told you, Adelaide, water can wait. Tarak changed straight away, but when Maggie was infected it stayed hidden inside her, no doubt, so it could infiltrate the Central Dome. Which means..."

Adelaide looked at him, "Any one of us could already be infected." She sighed. "We've all been drinking the same water."

"And if you take that back to Earth... One drop, just one drop…"

"But we're only presuming infection. If we can find out how this thing got through, when it got through..." She looked at the two of them, defeated. "Yuri, continue with Action One. I'm going to inspect the ice-field." She turned and headed towards the door.

The Doctor and Zara stood their, watching Yuri.

"Right. We should leave." The Doctor said. "Finally, we should leave. Yuri, me old mate, no point in us seeing the ice-field." He crossed his arms. "No point at all. No."

Zara rolled her eyes, grabbing his arm and pulling him off, "Adelaide!"

...

Adelaide ran down the medical tunnel, The Doctor and Zara catching up with her.

"All I'm saying is bikes." The Doctor remarked. "Little foldaway bikes. Don't weigh a thing."

...

Adelaide, The Doctor and Zara stood by the icefield, looking down into the open space.

"They tell legends of Mars, from long ago of a fine and noble race who built an empire out of snow." The Doctor commented. "The Ice Warriors."

"I haven't got time for stories." Adelaide said sharply.

"Perhaps they found something down there. Used their might and their wisdom to freeze it."

She moved over to one of the computers, "Doctor! We need to find any sort of change in the water process. We've got to date the infection."

The Doctor moved over to another computer and tried it as Zara leant against the railing, looking at the ice field.

"Access denied." The computer announced.

"You two don't look like a cowards, but all you've wanted to do is leave." Adelaide remarked. "You know so much about us."

"Well, you're famous." Zara shrugged.

"It's like you know more."

Zara took a breath, "This moment, this precise moment in time, it's like... I mean, it's only a theory." She began. "What do we know? But I think certain moments in time are fixed. Tiny, precious moments."

"Everything else is in flux, anything can happen, but those certain moments, they have to stand." The Doctor continued, looking at Adelaide. "This base, on Mars, with you, Adelaide Brooke, this is one vital moment. What happens here must always happen."

"Which is what?"

"I don't know. I think something wonderful happens, something that started 50 years ago, isn't that right?"

She stared at them, stunned, "I've never told anyone that."

"You told your daughter." Zara said softly. "And maybe, one day, she tells the story to her daughter of the day the Earth was stolen and moved across the universe. And you..."

She gulped, "I saw the Daleks. We looked up, the sky had changed. Everyone was running and screaming. And my father took hold of me..." She stared at Zara. "I never saw him again. Nor my mother."

"I've never seen my parents either." Zara whispered sympathetically.

"They were never found." She continued. "But out on the streets, there was panic and burning. I went to the window. And there in the sky... I saw it, Doctor, Zara. And it saw me. It stared at me. It looked right into me. And then..." She gulped. "It simply went away. I knew, that night, I knew I would follow it."

"But not for revenge." The Doctor said softly.

"What would be the point of that?"

He smiled, "That's what makes you remarkable. And that's how you create history."

"What do you mean?"

"Imagine it, Adelaide. If you began a journey that takes the human race all the way out to the stars. It begins with you. And then your granddaughter, you inspire her so that in 30 years, Susie Fontana Brooke is the pilot of the first light-speed ship to Proxima Centauri. (flash to Susie's article) And then everywhere. With her children, and her children's children forging the way to the Dragon Star, the Celestial Belt of the Winter Queen, the Map of the Water Snake Wormholes. One day a Brooke will fall in love with a Tandonian prince, and that's the start of a whole new species."

"But everything starts with you, Adelaide." Zara smiled. "From 50 years ago, to right here, today. Imagine."

"Who are you?" Adelaide asked. "Why are you telling me this? Doctor, Zara, why tell me?"

"As consolation."

Suddenly, the computer beeped, showing Andy's record.

The computer beeps and shows ANDY'S record.

"Andy Stone." Adelaide said. "He logged on yesterday."

The screen flickered, showing a video of Andy in the Bio-dome.

"Maintenance log, 21.20, November 2059." Andy said in the video. "Number three water filter's bust. And guess what? The spares they sent don't fit. What a surprise. Over and out." He shut off the camera and the screen went black.

"A filter." The Doctor said in realisation. "One tiny little filter and then the flood."

"But that means the infection arrived today, and the water's only cycled out of the Bio-dome after a week. The rest of us can't be infected. We can leave!" She grinned, holding the radio. "Ed, we're clean! How are we doing?"

"Shuttle's active, stage one!" Ed's voice called. "I haven't got time to convey the protein packs. If you want food you're gonna have to carry it by hand. Start loading! Right now!"

...

The three of them ran through the tunnel.

"You were right, Doctor." Adelaide said as they ran.

"What about?"

"Bikes!"

The Doctor burst out laughing as Zara shook her head.

...

Yuri, Mia, Roman and Steffi continued to pack quickly, Ed running shuttle checks as The Doctor and Zara watched sadly, when Adelaide handed them their spacesuits.

"Now get to your ship." Adelaide ordered. "I'm saving my people, you save yourselves. I know what this moment is. It's the moment we escape. Now get out."

The two of them moved over by the door and watched.

"Come on!" Yuri shouted.

"How many do we need?" Steffi asked.

"Roman, what about you?" Adelaide asked.

"Protein-packs 30 to 36." He replied, pushing them into the container, nobody notice the alarm beep as two life-forms are shown on the roof.

"Steffi, ditch the central containers. We don't need them."

"Units 41, 42 and 43." She replied.

"Unit 41 is here." Mia called.

"I'll swap them around." Roman said.

The Doctor gently took Zara's hand, the two of the watching everyone.

"Roman try to condense the oxygen membranes, we can lose ten pounds. Faster! Come on!" Adelaide ordered. "Ed, how's the fuel jets?"

"Cooling down in about 30 seconds." Ed called.

Suddenly, there was a sudden bang above them.

"What the hell's that noise? Mia, you lot, shut up."

The room fell silent and the beeping from the alarm continued.

Ed looked over at the monitor, "It's the module sensors." He said quietly. "Exterior as well. The cameras are down, but there's pressure on top of the module. Two signals right above us."

"That means..." Steffi whispered. "They're on the roof?"

They all slowly looked up at the ceiling.

"How did they get inside the Dome?" Roman asked.

"They used the maintenance shafts." Ed said.

"The shaft's open, they haven't got spacesuits." Mia said nervously, reaching for Yuri's hand.

"They breathe water."

"But they'd freeze." Steffi breathed.

"They've got that internal fission." Yuri gulped.

"Are we safe?" Mia asked. "They can't get through, can they?" The ceiling creaked. "Can they?"

Water suddenly began to slowly come through the ceiling.

"This place is airtight!" Roman said in horror.

"Can it get through?" Steffi panicked. "Ed? Can it get through?"

"I don't know!" Ed exclaimed. "Water itself isn't motile, but it has some resistance."

"Everyone, listen to me!" Adelaide shouted, pulling their attention away from the ceiling. "That's ten feet of steel-combination up there. We need all the protein-packs or we'll starve. Now keep working!" They all nodded and went back to work. "Roman, watch the ceiling! Ed, get to the shuttle, fire it up."

"I can carry more than this lot, Captain." Ed argued.

"That's an order!"

He nodded in defeat, "Captain." He said, running off.

As everyone continued working, Adelaide looked over at The Doctor and Zara for a moment before carrying on working. The Doctor squeezed Zara's hand and the two of them headed out of the door.

...

The Doctor and Zara stepped into the airlock, wearing their spacesuits when the door hissed shut behind them. The Doctor looked at Zara who just stared ahead at the door before pressing a button on the computer.

"Access denied." The computer reported, before he tried again. "Access denied."

"Tell me what happens." Adelaide's voice finally came over the radio.

"We don't know." The Doctor said feebly.

"Yes, you do. Now tell me."

"You should be with the others."

"Tell me! I could ramp up the pressure in that airlock and crush you."

"Except you won't. You could have shot Andy Stone, but you didn't. I loved you for that. Imagine... Imagine you knew something. Imagine you found yourself somewhere, I don't know..."

 _"Remember last time we were at a fixed point? We erupted Vesivivus."_

"Pompeii." He continued, sharing a look with Zara. "Imagine you were in Pompeii."

"What the hell's that got to do with it?" Adelaide asked.

"And you tried to save them, but, in doing so, you make it happen. Anything I do just makes it happen."

"Captain, we need you right now." Steffi's voice called in the background.

"I'm still here." Adelaide said quietly.

Zara turned and looked into the camera, "You're taking Action One." She said. "There are four more standard action procedures. And Action Five is...?"

"Detonation."

"The final option. The nuclear device at the heart of the Central Dome. Today, on the 21st November 2059, Captain Brooke activates that device, taking the base and all her crew members with her. No-one ever knows why."

"But you were saving Earth." The Doctor continued. "That's what inspires your granddaughter. She takes your people out into the galaxy, because you die, on Mars. You die, today. She flies out there like she's trying to meet you."

"I won't die." Adelaide said softly. "I will not."

"But your death creates the future."

"Help me. Why won't you help, Doctor, Zara, if you know all of this? Why can't you change it?"

"We can't."

"Why can't you find a way? Tell me."

"Adelaide, I swear, we can't." Zara gulped, tearful. "I'm sorry, but we can't. Sometimes we can, sometimes we do. Most times, we can save someone. Or anyone. But not you. You wondered all your life why that Dalek spared you. I think it knew. Your death is fixed, in time, for ever. And that's right." She sighed. "These things have to happen Adelaide. Your death saves Earth, all those humans lives. That selfless act! I killed a man so I would exist, Adelaide." She said sternly. "I could never be you."

"You'll die here too." Adelaide argued.

"No."

"What's gonna save you?"

"Captain Adelaide Brooke."

Adelaide pressed a button, "Damn you." She muttered, the airlock door opening.

The Doctor and Zara stepped out, trying to ignore the cries of the water entering the dome.

...

The Doctor and Zara walked away from the base as the shuttle's rockets fired. The Doctor stopped and shut his eyes as Zara looked back, the shuttle suddenly exploding and sending the two of them to the floor. The two of them sat up after a moment and looked back at the devestation of what was left of the base.

The Doctor looked over at Zara, rembering, " _I'm not just a Time Lord, I'm the Last of the Time Lords. It'll never come back, not now. I've got a TARDIS. Same old life, last of the Time Lords. And they died, took it all with them. The walls of reality closed, the worlds were sealed, gone forever. 'The Time Lords kept their eye on everything. And it's gone now. But they died, the Time Lords! All of them, they died! I'm the last of the Time Lords._ " But he wasn't, not anymore. He had Zara, and the universe was his to bend for her! She'd killed the Master, surely saving the crew of Bowie Base One instead of letting them die was better?!

"Get into The TARDIS." He said to Zara, before heading back towards the base with a look of grim determination.

Zara watched him walk away still laying on the floor, when she remembered.

Zara put the laser screwdriver back into it's place before glancing at the first page, with a small note written from River.

 _For the day you have to stop Theta._

 _Bowie Base One_

 _4651227924_

After a few moments scrambled to her feet and ran into the TARDIS. She pulled off her helmet and threw it onto the jump seat, running up the stairs.

"Please help me!" She shouted to The TARDIS.

...

The Doctor stepped into the base, the alarm beeping to find Yuri, Mia and Adelaide holding onto anything to stop them from being sucked out, everyone else dead.

"Mia, take this sealant, fix that rig!" The Doctor shouted, tossing her a canister he'd found unharmed outside the wreckage. "Yuri, open emergency oxygen. Adelaide, don't just sit there!" He pulled her to her feet as Mia sealed the hole and Yuri started the oxygen. "That's better! The Dome's still got integrity! It's 10 feet of steel-combination, made in Liverpool. Magnificent workmanship!"

"It can't be stopped." Adelaide gasped. "Don't die with us."

"No, because someone told me just recently, they said I was gonna die. They said, he will knock four times, and I know what that means. And it doesn't mean right here, right now!"

...

Zara ran down the corridor and stopped at a halt outside the memory room before bursting in, running through a complex maze of shelves before finding a small metal box with a keypad on it.

"4-6-5-1-2-2-7-9-2-4!" She called, entering the number into the keypad for it to flash green. "Oh River." She chuckled breathlessly. "I think I'm going to like you."

She opened the box and looked at the laser screwdriver, picking it up hastily.

...

"Cos I don't hear anyone knocking, do you?!" The Doctor asked.

On the other side of the door they stood by was Andy, who banged the door three times.

"Three knocks is all you're getting!" He shouted, pressing the keypad, electrifying the door and making Andy scream and fall. "Water and electricity, bad mix. Now then, what else have we got?

"But there's no way to fight them." Adelaide argued.

"Heat! They use water, so we can use heat!" He pressed some buttons on the computer before rushing across the room. "Works against the Ice Warriors, works against the Flood. We'll ramp up the environment controls and steam them!"

"But you said we die! For the future, for the human race."

"Yes, because there are laws. There are Laws of Time. Once upon a time there were people in charge of those laws, but they died. They all died. Do you know who that leaves? _Me!_ It's taken me all these years to realise the Laws of Time are mine and they will obey me!"

...

Zara ran back into the control room, pulling a lever as she went.

"Just in case." She muttered, grabbing her helmet and putting it on her when The TARDIS groaned. "He needs to be stopped, you know that." She looked at the rotor. "I just hope he forgives me."

She turned and bolted out of The TARDIS, the door slamming behind her.

...

The base suddenly shuddered, sending The Doctor flying to the floor, along with his helmet.

"Environment controls are down!" Adelaide called from a computer. "Sorry, Doctor, it looks like history's got other ideas."

The Doctor scrambled to his feat, "Not beaten yet! I'll go outside! Look at the heat regulator." He picked up his helmet to see the glass visor smashed. "No, not beaten, not beaten!" He threw it to the floor. "You've got spacesuits, in the next section." The Doctor ran out of the door, onbly to be stopped by a flood of water, making him run back. "We're not just fighting the Flood, we're fighting time itself and I'm gonna win!"

Yuri looked over at one of the computers, "Something's happening to the glacier."

"Think, think, think-a think! What have we got? Not enough oxygen! Protein-packs? Useless! Glacier, glacier mints, minty, Monty, molto bene, bunny, Bonny, bish-bash-bosh! Baaaaaaah! The room, the room, look at the room! Section F, what's in Section F? Anyone?!"

"Nothing, it's just storage."

"Storing what?!"

"I don't know. The weather spikes, robots, atom clamps…"

"Atom clamps? Atom clamps!?" He ran over and opened a storage cabinet. "Who needs atom clamps? I love a funny robot!"

"Gadget-Gadget." Gadget cried, rolling out.

"You should really stop." A voice called.

The room filled silent and they all looked round to see Zara, holding her helmet under one arm, the laser screwdriver in the other hand, pointed at The Doctor.

"Adelaide, Mia, Yuri, it's ok." She said. "Just move out the way." The three of them moved slightly into safe areas as The Doctor stood up, looking at her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, looking at the laser screwdriver. "How did you get the code for the box?"

"Little message left for me from River Song." She replied. "You need to stop, Doctor."

"I'm saving these people!" He exclaimed. "After your dad, surely you'd agree with this!"

"I do, I'm not a monster!" She shouted. "But the way you're acting, I can hear you Theta! You do not control the laws of time! You need to stop." She looked at him sadly. "What happened to you?" She asked. "What would Martha say?!"

"Implementing Captain's protocol." The computer suddenly said, everyone looking over to find Adelaide by a computer.

"Adelaide, what are you doing?!" The Doctor asked.

"Oh, my God. Action Five." Mia gasped.

Adelaide looked at The Doctor, "Zara's right. You don't."

"If I have to fight you two as well, then I will." He snapped looking between them.

The Doctor rushed towards Adelaide to stop her.

"Stop him!" Adelaide shouted.

Zara fired, hitting him in the arm with a laser and making him groan out in pain as Adelaide hit enter.

"Nuclear device now active and primed." The computer announced. "Nuclear device now active and primed."

Zara rushed over to The Doctor, pulling him to his feet with Yuri and looking him in the eyes.

"You'll forgive me one day." She said sadly, tears in her eyes.

The Doctor put a hand on her cheek, "We need to get out of here." He breathed.

Zara looked around the five of them standing together, including Gadget next to their feet and pressed a button on the laser screwdriver, the TARDIS materialising around them slowly.

...

The TARDIS materialized in a London street outside some large houses, snow falling around it. The door opened and The Doctor and Zara, out of their spacesuits, stepped out, followed by Adelaide, Mia and Yuri.

The two timelords watched the humans as they looked around, stunned.

"Isn't anyone going to thank her?" The Doctor asked, nodding at Zara.

Gadget trundled out of The TARDIS, stopping in the middle of the snow before losing power.

"He's lost his signal." The Doctor continued. "Doesn't know where he is."

Adelaide looked at the house in front of them, "That's my house."

"Don't you get it? This is the 21st November 2059. Same day on Earth." He looked up at the sky. "And it's snowing. I love snow."

"What is that thing?" Mia exclaimed in horror, backing away from The TARDIS. "It's bigger... I mean, it's bigger on the inside! Who the hell are you?" She turned and ran away.

Yuri watched after her, hesitating to follow before looking at Adelaide.

"Look after her." Adelaide said.

"Yes, ma'am." Yuri nodded, running after her.

Adelaide walked towards The Doctor, "You saved us." Then looked at Zara. "And you tried to stop him." She looked back at The Doctor. "You should of listened to her."

"Just think though." The Doctor stressed. "Your daughter, and your daughter's daughter, you can see them again. Family reunion!"

"But I'm supposed to be dead."

"Not any more."

"But Susie, my granddaughter, the person she's supposed to become might never exist now."

"Nah! Captain Adelaide can inspire her face-to-face. Different details, but the story's the same."

"You can't know that. And if my family changes, the whole of history could change. The future of the human race. No-one should have that much power."

His face turned sour, "Tough." He said bitterly.

She looked at him in disgust, "You should have left us there."

"Adelaide, I've done this sort of thing before, in small ways, saved some little people. But never someone as important as you. Oh, I'm good!"

"Little people? What, like Mia and Yuri? Who decides they're so unimportant? You?"

"For a long time now, I thought I was just a survivor, but I'm not. I'm the winner. That's who I am. The Time Lord Victorious."

"And there's no-one to stop you?"

"No."

"This is wrong, Doctor. I don't care who you are. The Time Lord Victorious is wrong." She spat. "Because she will stop you." She nodded to Zara. "Miss Saxon, it was a privilege to meet you. Now stop before he kills himself."

The Doctor suddenly brightened up, "Now, you'd better get home. Oh, it's all locked up, you've been away. Still, that's easy." He took out the sonic and used it on the door, unlocking it. "All yours."

"Is there nothing you can't do?"

"Not any more."

Adelaide headed towards her house as The Doctor turned back to the TARDIS. Adelaide looked back, sharing a look with Zara who was still watching, knowing. She reached for gun and withdrew it, stepping into the house. As The Doctor reached The TARDIS there was a flash of blue and gunshot from the house, The Doctor looking round and falling against the TARDIS door in realisation.

"Do you see now Theta?" Zara asked softly, squeezing her hands into balls.

"I've gone too far." The Doctor breathed, the two of them looking over to see Ood Sigma standing in the road. The Doctor fell to his knees, "Is this it? My death? Is it time?"

Ood Sigma suddenly vanished and Zara pulled The Doctor to his knees, pulling him into The TARDIS.

...

The Doctor and Zara stood at the console, looking at the rotor.

"No." The Doctor said, pulling a lever. He looked over at Zara, trying to smile lovingly at her before his face dropped at her blank stare.

"I'm not going to marry you." She said.


End file.
